The Dead Sea - a proposal for a (partial) solution

Dr. Assaf Rosenthal suggests building a dam in front of/to the east of the hotels at a distance of about 200 to 300 meters and harvesting the salt in the lagoon that will serve the hotels

The Dead Sea is dying, the northern basin is drying up, and much has already been written about this and the need and way to stop its disappearance, for example HERE and also HERE

I also wrote about the problems created by the rise in the water level in the southern basin, a basin that is full of evaporation ponds for the production of minerals, recently a number of factors have awakened - the Ministry of Tourism, the Tamar Regional Council, the Association of Hotels, the Ministry of Infrastructure, and others, an awakening that recognized the danger to hotels and other infrastructures that are located on the coasts The North Evaporation Pool.

Since salt sinks in the pool and since every cycle the "Dead Sea Factories" (hereafter referred to as the factories) pump the same amount of water into the pool, the level of the pool rises, causing the beach to flood.

The solution providers are divided into two: the factories that wish to continue with "business as usual" propose (without getting confused) to move everything that is on the shore of the pool higher, that is, to destroy the existing one (which was established for fifty years) and rebuild at a distance (and higher) from the existing shore.

On the other hand, the owners of the hotels and other facilities offer/demand to "harvest" the salt from the bottom of the pool, to deepen it and thus prevent the level from rising. The meaning of the factories' proposal: turning an active and special tourist area into... a huge construction site.

There is a debate between the factories and hotels about which of the solutions is less expensive, when it is clear to every bar-by-rab that turning the area into a construction site will eliminate the industry.

Most of what exists on the shores of the Dead Sea is in the concession area of ​​the factories, meaning it was built with the approval or at least the lack of objection of the "beach owners". Some of the infrastructures were established before 1964, that is, before the completion of the large dam that turned a natural beach... into the shore of an evaporation pool.

In other words, all responsibility and blame for what is happening rests on the shoulders of the factories. Considering all that has been said, it is requested that the solution be at the expense of those who cause the problem at the expense of the factories (whose owners do not need or need a "film day").

I'm not an expert on costs, but considering the fact that "moving" the existing one is a ridiculous and foolish act and considering that harvesting the salt in the entire huge pool will be expensive by any measure, I suggest: build a dam in front of / to the east of the hotels at a distance of about 200 to 300 meters, it is important that the distance is not will be uniform to match an appearance as close to natural as possible. The dam structure should blend in with the Moab mountains in the background.

At the same time as the construction of the dam, the plants will start harvesting the salt in the "lagoon" that will be created in front of the hotels, the harvesting will be in a tiny area compared to the entire northern pond, which means the cost will be much lower. The northern pool, the entire area east of the new dam must be dried. In the hope that many days when the level in the north will return and rise it will be possible for the company to the northern basin and return to the Dead Sea part of its ancient uniqueness. The lagoon that will be created in front of the hotels will allow the continuation of tourist activities and will be a water carrier for the southern evaporation ponds. The salt in the lagoon will be harvested regularly to maintain the water level.

It is clear that the disruption of the northern pool will reduce the income of the factories (mercifully for Zelen). After decades of resource robbery and environmental destruction, the time has come for "the polluter to pay", as is customary, correct and accepted throughout the world. Therefore, the enterprises must bear the cost of the project as well as the "losses".

It is also clear that the meaning of the Ram - pumping less water from the northern basin, that is, the beginning of the strengthening of the northern basin. Since the activity to save the northern basin is shared by Jordan as well, the Jordanians should be asked/required to reduce the evaporation areas and pump less.

Although the pumping is only a small part of the causes of the drying up of the northern basin, it will be a start that may mark the action for the solution.