Upscaling the Tzipori river restorations in Israel

The Tzipori stream is located in the river continuum from the hilly Nazareth to Zevulon valley, with a change in land use from mostly rural to urbanized. The regional population is expected to double within the next 30 years.  The upper and lower segments of the stream have been modified as flood prevention measures and water is being extracted for agricultural use. The Tzipori River is a perennial Mediterranean river that depends on natural springs, and features diverse aquatic habitats. The basin serves as an important ecological corridor and is characterized by a diverse modern and traditional Arab agriculture, and historical and heritage sites important to the three main religions.   It flows through an extensive mosaic of open landscapes and diverse cultural communities and is a refuge for the diminishing wetland habitats and biodiversity. 

After a decade of restoration measures along the Tzipori stream in Israel, this case study will monitor their success and aims at upscaling measures to the watershed scale in order to create a model for management of stream basin rehabilitation.

This case study is one of 17 that are part of the EU Horizon2020 project MERLIN - Mainstreaming Ecological Restoration of freshwater-related ecosystems in a Landscape context: INnovation, upscaling and transformation.

• Ecological restoration of biodiversity and protected habitats
• groundwater retention
• flood prevention
• increased tourism and recreational value
• educational; a national model for stream restoration

• Creation of uphill retention basins 
• Soil conservation measures
• Restoration of floodplain habitats  
• Improved connectivity: ecological corridors (terrestrial and hydrological) 
• Introduction and encouragement of sustainable agricultural land use 
• Creation of buffer strips 
• Increasing sinuosity and habitat heterogeneity 

The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University (TAU), Kishon River and Drainage Authority (KRDA)