Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did diverting water from the Jordan River affect the Dead Sea?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Dead Sea
Salt deposits at the Dead Sea near Masada, Israel.
Beginning in the 1960s, Israel and Jordan began diverting a significant portion of the Jordan River’s flow and increasing the use of the Dead Sea’s water for commercial purposes. These activities have had two primary effects on the lake:12
- Water Level Decline: The diversion caused a precipitous drop in the lake's water level. By the mid-2010s, the surface level had fallen more than 100 feet (30 meters) below mid-20th-century measurements, and the level continues to decrease by approximately 4 feet (1.2 meters) annually.12
- Increased Salinity: The reduction in freshwater inflow has gradually increased the salinity of the lake's upper-layer waters. This change in density and temperature has disrupted the lake's natural stratification, leading to instances of "overturn," where water layers mix.3
These environmental changes have prompted international concern, leading to ongoing discussions between Israel and Jordan regarding water conservation and potential infrastructure projects to restore water levels.14