Overview of Middle East Water Resources
Surface Water
Lower Jordan River
From the outlet of Lake Tiberias, the Jordan River
flows south through the Rift Valley to the Dead Sea.
Tributaries to the Jordan River, south of the Yarmouk
River, are deeply incised wadis that cross the eastern
and western escarpments from the Mountain Belt and
Jordan Highland. The characteristics of the lower
Jordan River are much different than those of the
upper Jordan River. Only a small percentage of the
inflow to Lake Tiberias is released to the lower Jordan
River; and much of the discharge from the Yarmouk
River is diverted for water supply before its confluence
with the Jordan River. Water-quality differences
between the upper and lower Jordan River also are
significant. Water quality in the lower Jordan does
not support many uses because of high chlorides
introduced from saline springs along the lower Jordan
River or diverted from Lake Tiberias, and from irrigation
return flows. Chloride concentrations are much
higher during the summer when there is less dilution
by rainfall runoff.
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Rafters on the lower Jordan River
during a period of high flow
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Since 1979, flow characteristics of the lower Jordan
River have been measured at Naharayim below the
confluence with the Yarmouk River. The drainage area
at the gaging station is 9,350 km2 ; however, most of
the flow from the upper Jordan and Yarmouk Rivers
is diverted for water supply. Flow diversions have
only a limited effect on large floods so that maximum
monthly-flow volumes at this site are more representative
of its large drainage area. A number of large
floods with peak discharges near 1,000 cubic meters
per second (m3/s) have occurred at Naharayim in
recent years.
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Hydrographs. Left: Median annual volume by watershed. Right: Annual volume, 1978-96.
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Water Data Banks Project,
Multilateral Working Group on Water Resources,
Middle East Peace Process
Overview of Middle East Water Resources
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