work if it's done faster and quicker.
In the meantime, one solution is to
capture and store rain and floodwater
and store recycled water.
Sixty percent of Israel's water is used
for agriculture. The farms can use recy-
cled water. That's where reservoirs enter
the picture.
The Jewish National Fund has built
120 reservoirs since 1990, including fish
ponds that recycle their water for farm-
ing purposes. The JNF is committed to
building another 100 reservoirs over the
next decade.
Reservoir water - is used only for agri-
culture, but it frees up 6 percent of the
fresh water in the aquifers for drinking
purposes. It also lowers the cost of water
by 18 percent for the moshavim and
kibbutzim that use it.
In the Besot River Reservoir complex
— a series of three reservoirs near
Beersheba designed to capture desert
flash floods — several acres are covered
with three man-made dents in the
ground.
The largest is lined with heavy black
plastic that can hold 4 million cubic
meters of water. The plastic prevents
water from seeping into the under-
ground aquifer. The basin is also filled
with 50,000 fish that clean up algae.
The other two reservoirs are smaller,
capable of storing 2.2 million cubic
meters and 800 cubic meters of water.
The smallest is a grassy hollow in the
ground that collects water from a near-
by riverbed but allows it to penetrate
the earth as well.
When the reservoirs are full, two sys-
tems of pumps move the water to 1,250
acres of surrounding fields filled with
citrus orchards.
There are debates whether Israeli
farms need to continue using irrigation,
particularly since most farmers can't
afford to desalinate water or channel
and store rainwater.
For now, though, the JNF is support-
ing agricultural efforts.
The JNF is "all about sustainable
development," said Weinstein, pointing
out tamarind trees planted along the
reservoirs and desert trees planted in soil
embankments built to collect rainwater.
"It's a matter of economics and what
you get and what you lose," said
Shamir, referring to the water system
options. "No matter what, it's a very
good idea to try and catch as much as
water as possible." El
JNF tree certificates, which support
JNF efforts in Israel, can be pur-
chased at the Jewish Community
Online Store: wwvv.jcolstore.com
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