page_title: Sea of Galilee
section_title: State of Israel
hierarchical_section_title: Sea of Galilee / History / State of Israel
caption_attribution_description: English: Israel’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Tiberias, is also known as the Sea of Tiberias, Lake of Gennesaret, Lake Kinneret, and the Sea of Galilee. The lake measures just more than 21 kilometres north-south, and it is only 43 meters deep. The lake is fed partly by underground springs related to the Jordan sector of the Great Rift Valley, but most of its water comes from the Jordan River, which enters from the north. The river’s winding course can be seen draining the south end of the lake at image bottom. Angular green and brown field patterns clothe most hillsides in this arid landscape. Bright roof tops are the hallmark of several villages in the area. The largest grouping of bright roofs and city blocks indicates the location of Tiberias (named for the Roman Emperor Tiberius), visible at image left on the south-western shore of the lake. ISS Crew Earth Observations: ISS020-E-31066IdentificationMissionISS020 (Expedition 20)RollEFrame31066Country or Geographic NameISRAELFeaturesSEA OF GALILEE, TIBERIAS, AGR.Center Point Latitude32.8° NCenter Point Longitude35.6° ECameraCamera Tilt27°Camera Focal Length400&#160;mmCameraNikon D2XsFilm4288 x 2848 pixel CMOS sensor, RGBG imager color filter.QualityPercentage of Cloud Cover0-10%Nadir What is Nadir?Date2009-08-15Time10:21:01Nadir Point Latitude31.3° NNadir Point Longitude35.0° ENadir to Photo Center DirectionNorthSun Azimuth208°Spacecraft Altitude189 nautical miles (350&#160;km)Sun Elevation Angle71°Orbit Number1528
context_page_description: The Sea of Galilee, Lake Tiberias, Kinneret or Kinnereth, is a freshwater lake in Israel. It is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world, at levels between 215 metres and 209 metres below sea level. It is approximately 53 km in circumference, about 21 km long, and 13 km wide. Its area is 166.7 km² at its fullest, and its maximum depth is approximately 43 m. The lake is fed partly by underground springs but its main source is the Jordan River, which flows through it from north to south and exits the Sea at the Degania Dam.
context_section_description: On May 15, 1948, Syria invaded the newborn State of Israel, capturing territory along the Sea of Galilee. Under the 1949 armistice agreement between Israel and Syria, Syria occupied the northeast shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. The agreement, though, stated that the armistice line was "not to be interpreted as having any relation whatsoever to ultimate territorial arrangements." Syria remained in possession of the lake's northeast shoreline until the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
  In the 1950s, Israel formulated a plan to link the Kinneret with the rest of the country's water infrastructure via the National Water Carrier, in order to supply the water demand of the growing country. The carrier was completed in 1964. The Israeli plan, to which the Arab League opposed its own plan to divert the headwaters of the Jordan River, sparked political and sometimes even armed confrontations over the Jordan River basin.
  After 5 years of drought as of 2018, Sea of Galilee is expected to get to the black line. The black elevation line is the lowest depth from which irreversible damage begin and no water can be pumped out anymore. Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research describe it as "The black line marks −214.87 m, the lowest-ever level reached since 1926 when the water level record began. According to the water authority, the Kinneret water level must not decline below this level."
  In February 2018, the city of Tiberias requested a desalination plant to treat the water coming from the Sea of Galilee and demanded a new water source for the city. March 2018 was the lowest point in water income to the lake since 1927.
  In September 2018 the Israeli energy  and water office announced a project to pour desalinated water from the Mediterranean sea into the sea of Galilee using a tunnel. The tunnel is expected to be the largest of its kind done in Israel and will transfer half of the Mediterranean desalted water and will push 300 to 500 million cubic meters of water per year. The plan said to cost five billion shekels. Giora Eiland lead the meetings with the German counterparts to find a suitable contractor to build the project.
caption: View of the Sea of Galilee from space
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