The Senir Stream is the longest tributary of the Jordan River. Its green banks, frothing water, pools and falls are an unforgettable pleasure
By Israel Nature and Parks Authority
The Senir (Hatsbani) Stream is the longest of the three main sources of the Jordan. It begins some 35 km south of the town of Hasbaya in Lebanon. It is 65 km long and drains an area of 640 sq. km on the northwestern slopes of Mount Hermon. An annual average of 135 million cubic meters of water flows through the stream; in particularly rainy years the amount can reach 300 million cubic meters. Its main springs are the Hasbaya, in Lebanon, mostly capped for domestic and agricultural use, and the Wazani, near Ghajar on the Israel - Lebanon border.
In winter the Senir is augmented by flooding , while in the summer only the Wazani springs feed it. At its height, 150 cubic meters of water per second flow through the stream; at its lowest, it drops to only 0.6 cubic meters per second. Pumping from the Wazani begun last year by the Lebanese reduced the Senir's flow by 1,000 cubic meters an hour, devastating the reserve’s waterscapes and severely damaging Israel’s downstream water sources. Following American intervention, pumping was limited to domestic use only, which will hopefully reduce the damage.
How to get there?
Five km east of the Metsudot junction south of Kiryat Shmona, on road 99 to Kibbutz Ha'Goshrim, then follow the signs.