Under rocket fire: The work on a promenade along the Jordan River is complete

Amid the war in the North and the relentless rocket fire from Hezbollah, teams from the Kinneret Drainage and Streams Authority, in coordination with security forces, continue fieldwork throughout the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights to complete environmental projects for the development and regulation of streams, springs, and drainage systems. These efforts aim to benefit local communities and tourists in preparation for the day after.

This is part of a massive project involving a NIS 100 million investment to restore and develop 12 kilometers along the Jordan River. During the recent completion of the restoration and development project of the eastern Jordan Canal, one of the teams found themselves under a heavy barrage of approximately 55 rockets fired at the center of the Hula Valley while working near the Pkak Bridge, completing the paving of an accessible 2-meter-wide promenade path for pedestrians and cyclists.

Guy Koler, an inspector for authority, recounted: "In the early morning, during the concrete pouring, we received alerts via the Home Front Command app about incoming rocket fire. We immediately halted work and took shelter under a nearby iron bridge, which is used by the army for crossing the canal during emergencies. Within seconds, we heard the explosions from the interceptions and impacts around us.

"Despite the tense situation, the workers remained calm, and after 20 minutes, when things settled down, we resumed our work and completed all the planned tasks."

The paving of the promenade path, restoring and providing accessibility to a half-kilometer section from south of the Hamisha Bridge in Yesod HaMa'ala to near the Pakkak Bridge, is part of the development work in the eastern Jordan Canal.

In addition to the massive earthworks to widen the canal, the project addresses waste hazards, creates canal meanders to simulate a natural stream flow, moderates the flow, treats the canal banks, creates green and well-maintained grassy areas, improves access to the water, plants vegetation to encourage the development of local wildlife, develops accessible promenade paths for tourists and parking areas, and installs fences to protect local agriculture from uncontrolled visitor use.

The work on this section is part of a large project to restore and develop 12 kilometers along the eastern Jordan Canal, creating a managed park from the Pakkak Bridge to the Lehavot Bridge parking area, with a total investment of NIS 100 million.

The funding comes from the Jewish National Fund (JNF), the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Kinneret Drainage and Streams Authority, in cooperation with the Upper Galilee Regional Council, the Israel Land Authority (ILA), the Open Spaces Fund, the Stream Administration, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA), the Government Tourism Corporation, and the Yesod HaMa'ala municipality.

The goal is to expand leisure and recreation areas in the eastern Jordan Canal area while preserving the region’s landscape, nature, and agricultural lands by restoring the canal structure and creating the appearance of a natural stream by adding bends and eliminating the straight lines that have characterized the canal since its construction in the 1950s.

The project also provides accessibility to the promenade and the riverbank for tourists. This is being done in response to growing demand and demographic growth, with efforts made to separate recreational areas from agricultural lands in the Hula Valley as much as possible.

Oshri Yaloz, an engineer for the Kinneret Drainage and Streams Authority, explained: "The northern Jordan River sources are a major tourist attraction for the many visitors who frequent them, but human intervention can harm the stream area.

"The project is part of efforts led by various bodies in the region to preserve the unique area of the eastern Jordan Canal while enhancing its tourism potential," Yaloz said. "We are working to make the area accessible to the many visitors while ensuring the site and stream are preserved in the best possible way, both in terms of drainage and ecology."

Shelly Ben Yishai, Director of the Northern Region for the JNF, added: "The development and restoration of the canal parks (the eastern Jordan Canal and the Security Canal) is an important project that constitutes a valuable and highly significant tourist hub for the Upper Galilee, the Hula Valley, and the surrounding area, benefiting local residents and the many visitors from all over the country. It aims to preserve the river corridors as an ecological pathway, a scenic local promenade, and a heritage site.

The JNF, in collaboration with the Kinneret Drainage and Streams Authority and the regional councils, has engaged in in-depth planning and advanced execution," Ben Yishai said. "The project offers significant potential for the development of hiking trails, seating areas, night camping areas, accessible paths, scenic plantings, the restoration of wetland habitats, and more.

"Despite the ongoing threats, JNF workers tirelessly continue to develop these sites for the benefit of the public in Israel."