New Project Launches to Restore Water Flow and Ecology at Yarkon River Estuary

A sandbar has formed at the Yarkon River estuary in Tel Aviv, blocking water flow from the river to the sea. This accumulation disrupts water exchange, harms the local ecosystem, and impedes boating activities. The sandbar developed after the closure of the Reading power station, which previously helped push sand away from the estuary with its cooling water discharge.

The westernmost section of the Yarkon, known as the estuarine zone, is a unique habitat where fresh river water meets salty sea water, supporting diverse fish, bird, and plant life, as well as serving as a key boating area. The sandbar has effectively turned this part of the river into a closed lagoon, threatening water quality and ecological balance.

In response, a new collaborative research and monitoring project has been launched by the Yarkon River Authority, Tel Aviv Municipality, the Estuarine Research Center, Ruppin Faculty of Marine Sciences, the Institute for Lakes and Seas Research, and the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at Ben-Gurion University. The project aims to gather scientific data to guide the reopening of the estuary and manage it sustainably.

The initiative includes comprehensive hydro-ecological monitoring through frequent sampling, continuous observation systems, and public involvement via citizen science. Concurrently, an engineering operation will remove the sandbar to restore water flow. Data collected before and after this intervention will help assess its impact and inform future management decisions.

Project leaders emphasized the goal of maintaining water exchange, protecting the unique habitat, and enabling continued boating activities, all to ensure the Yarkon River remains a living, vibrant waterway.