A team of Haifa Technion experts was called to begin an investigation of an “alarming” drop in the level of the Dead Sea, it was announced today.
Officials said that while there has been a constant drop in the water level of the inland sea, the decline this year was the sharpest ever recorded. Some authorities blamed the current drought, noting that the Dead Sea gets its waters from rivers emptying into it.
The Potash Company said today that the benefits from the drought for its operations in the Dead Sea were mixed. By increasing the concentration of chemicals in the Dead Sea waters, the drought has helped boost production of potash, but the concentration also makes necessary more fresh water to purify the potash.
The problem revived possible consideration of Prof. Walter Lowdermilk’s proposal to bring water in an open canal from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea in replacement for fresh water being diverted from the Jordan River for irrigation.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
