Nahal Taninim

Nahal Taninim
Wadi az-Zarka
Nahal Taninim
Nahal Taninim is located in Northern Haifa region of Israel
Nahal Taninim
Location within Northern Haifa region of Israel
LocationHof HaCarmel Regional Council, Israel
Coordinates32°32′51″N 34°54′54″E / 32.54750°N 34.91500°E / 32.54750; 34.91500

Nahal Taninim or Tanninim (Hebrew: נחל תנינים, lit. 'Crocodiles Stream') or Wadi az-Zarka (Arabic: وَادِي الزرقاء, lit. 'Blue Stream') is a river in Israel near the Arab town Jisr az-Zarqa, originating near Ramot Menashe and emptying into the Mediterranean Sea south of Ma'agan Michael. It marks the southern limit of the Hof HaCarmel, or Carmel Coastal Plain, region.

There is a dam on the river channel that is used for a nearby power plant. During the rainy season, water from the stream is diverted to a reservoir to enrich the groundwater.

Etymology

The river is named for the Nile crocodiles that inhabited the nearby Kebara swamps until the early 20th century. The last crocodile was hunted in 1912 and is part of a German taxidermic collection currently on display at the natural history museum of the Tel Aviv University.

The remains of Krokodelion polis, Greek for "Crocodiles City", a city established there in the Persian period (5th–4th century BCE), are still visible today.

History

The Late Roman Nahal Tanninim dam, along with a second dam, helped create a huge artificial seasonal lake of c. 6,000 dunams / 1,500 acres, which provided the nearby metropolis of Caesarea with water via an aqueduct. During the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, a series of water-operated flour mills were built along the channel behind the sluice system regulating the water stream exiting the reservoir.

The name River of Crocodiles dates as far back as the Third Crusade, during which the crocodiles devoured two knights who were bathing in the river.

Hydrology

The area of the basin and its tributaries is about 200 square kilometers, including the Taninim, Ada, Barkan, Alona and Mishmarot streams. Nahal Taninim is the cleanest of Israel's coastal rivers. Three waterways meet in Nahal Taninim: the natural stream, a Roman aqueduct extending from the Zabrin springs to Caesarea, and Mifale Menashe, the waterworks that collect surface runoff water and springwater, routing it into the subterranean water table.

Flora and fauna

The dense undergrowth and reeds along Nahal Taninim are home to many different birds, among them waterside warblers and other songbirds.

See also

Directly related:

General topics:

References

  1. 1 2 One of the last clean rivers in Israel, Jerusalem Post, 30 January 2014
  2. ↑ Weissbein, Itamar (2017). "Revisiting the Isolated Canaanite Temple of Tel Mevorakh". Journal of Landscape Ecology. 10 (3): 58–80 [67]. doi:10.1515/jlecol-2017-0026. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  3. ↑ "Statement of the German Association of the Holy Land regarding the Father Schmitz Collection". German Association of the Holy Land. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  4. ↑ Stieglitz, Robert R., Tel Tanninim, 2000, accessed 17 February 2021
  5. 1 2 "Taninim Stream Nature Reserve: Points of interest". Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  6. ↑ T.A. Archer (1889). The Crusade of Richard I. G. P. Putnam's Sons. p. 142. ISBN 9785874569310. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  7. ↑ Nahal Taninim Master plan[dead link]
  8. ↑ Birding along the Mediterranean