Ein-gadi

Assaf Rosenthal, formerly the director of the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, analyzes the water sharing agreement between Kibbutz Ein Gedi and the Nature Reserves Authority

They loudly announced an agreement to share water between the reserve and the kibbutz... Some cheered, others booed, following the water agreement signed between the Authority and the kibbutz. These are also affected by a lack of "objectivity" and it's a good thing since the role of the authority to preserve nature, the role of the nature protection society is understood from its name, to gather other tendencies, therefore lack of objectivity in this case is understandable and acceptable. Not understood and unacceptable is the lack of up-to-date information about what is and what was. Lack of information bordering on ignorance that causes damage to the reserve.

In Ein-Gadi there are four springs, a type of beds that feeds the flow in Nahal-Arugut, a type of David that feeds the flow in Nahal-David, a type of Shulamit, in the (recent) past it flowed on the southern slope of Nahal David and added its waters to Nahal David, a type of Ein- Gedi whose waters flowed (in the recent past) on the slope east of Mein and in a small stream southeast of Mein, the springs flowed like this until the new settlement (1953) - in Kibbutz Ein-Gadi.

Throughout history there was an agricultural settlement in Ein Gedi, a settlement that utilized the spring water. Anyone with eyes in his head will see the "ancient agricultural areas", steps that were cultivated, the extent of the steps/agricultural areas shows that throughout all the periods when there was an agricultural settlement in Ein-Gadi, no water flowed in the streams, all the water was used, there was no water in the reserve , that is, all the vegetation we know in the streams and slopes developed in the hundreds of years between the abandonment of the ancient settlement and the new settlement.

Again the reserve we are trying to preserve has existed as a (partial) natural environment for only a few hundred years. It is clear and understandable that this is not an attempt to challenge the need and importance of the existence of the reserve and that there is no justification for harming the supply of water to the reserve, but anyone who comes to try and fix a certain situation is important to know what the (original) situation was.

Already at the beginning of the new settlement, water disputes arose between the settlers and the people of the field school of the Society for the Protection of Nature (1963). In 1964 the Nature Reserves Authority was established and in 1967 the authority took over the management of the reserve and the "water wars" with the kibbutz. At this time, a "status quo" was created, determined by a number of factors: the good will of the water officer in the kibbutz, the assertiveness (and sometimes aggression) of the reserve workers, but above all: the quality of the "catch": in the David rivers and the thick beds of the pipes, in the springs of Ein- Gedi and Shulamit, the depth of perception. The situation (status quo) was that about a third of all the flow of the springs flowed in the reserve, a kind of Shulamit flowed (north) underground to Nahal-David and on the banks of the stream there was a gap and its waters flowed down the stream. The water from Ein-Gadi was collected in an (artificial) pool and flowed from it through two (artificial) canals to the eastern slope, later they created two spillways that poured water down the slope, no water flowed into the nachalon where there was an ancient station. To revive the vegetation in Nahal-Ein-Gadi, the reserve workers would open taps in the kibbutz's pipe. The faucets were installed out of the kibbutz's understanding of the need to preserve the vegetation, especially the two maroa trees.

This was the situation until the end of the XNUMXs, that is: if today some of the eastern slopes are dry, the blame... lies with the Authority's employees who did not take care to irrigate them, to remind you that since the existence/proclamation of the reserve, the slopes have been irrigated artificially.

After the establishment of the bottling plant, water was pumped in quantities that significantly reduced the residues in the reservoir. Where were the reserve inspectors? It is possible that proper activity at the time would have prevented the drying out, if anyone thinks that today it is possible to release water in quantities that will flow down the slopes... he should go out and check his situation. At the same time, the (new) agreement says that "to cover the lack, water will be poured into the slopes from drilling in the beds"... to hang the existence of the entire system on a tap that will open or close according to the "mood" of a nice kibbutznik.... ?

If the "summarizers" were aware and knew all the facts, they might have avoided... nonsense. The only chance to restore the green slope is through artificial irrigation (drip system). In the XNUMXs, there was a plan to deploy a drip system that would irrigate the eastern slope, for various reasons, mainly "stuttering" in the authority, the plan was not carried out. It would be right to install a reliable system that will revive the slopes of E-Gadi, at the same time to renew the grazing area for the goats that for some reason has dried up. The time has come for the Authority to fulfill its role in preserving nature and stop the constant preoccupation with the protection of Ishav.... !

The correct way to preserve the slopes of Ein Gedi is by creating an artificial irrigation system, such a system is allowed to be partially dependent on water from the streams, at the same time it is worth remembering that the kibbutz uses the water from the springs - Shulamit - Ei-Gadi, for various domestic uses and not just for drinking. If there were separate systems: one system for drinking water (from the springs), a separate system (river water) for all other uses - bathing, gardening, washing, etc., such a separation would "release" water in the springs. There is also a possibility to collect (partial) water from Ein-Gadi after flowing down the slope, such a possibility will of course require purification before bottling, which will make bottled water more expensive.

Elsewhere I have already written that it would be true if the kibbutz had full involvement in the preservation of nature in and around the reserve, kibbutz members as inspectors, as organizers of activities such as predator observations, bird watching, guided tours, etc. carried out by/under the guidance of kibbutz members, as well as sharing in the income from entrance fees, all These would bring the kibbutz closer together and create an economic interest. A financial matter was the cause of the desire to preserve and preserve, thus balancing the frictions.

The writer was inspector/manager of the Ein Gedi reserve between 1967 and 1977.