The Kirkara springs in the Western Galilee stream have begun flowing again after being dried out to eradicate invasive river crabs; visitors report clean pools suitable for immersion
A visit to Nahal Betzet on erev Yom Tov revealed that water has returned to the beloved Western Galilee stream after an extended absence.
Several pools have formed, with the easternmost among them completely clean and suitable for immersion. Cows graze around the pool, unaccustomed to human visitors after years in which hikers stayed away from the dry streambed.
The descent from Kibbutz Eilon takes twelve minutes to the trailhead, and another twelve minutes from there to the first water source.
The stream, known in Arabic as Wadi Kirkara, is the northernmost of the Western Galilee's watercourses. In the past, its springs flowed at a rate of approximately 1.1 million cubic meters per year, and the ruins of flour mills are scattered along its banks. A structure from that era still stands at the start of the trail, having supplied water to the settlement until the year 2000.
That year, everything stopped. Drilling by Mekorot, the national water company, drew too heavily from the aquifer, the water table dropped, and the springs ceased flowing. The Nature and Parks Authority then began pumping water through pipes to maintain the stream artificially.
With the return of water came the return of mollusks, crabs and water insects, and the remaining sycamore trees began to recover.
Then came the next blow. In autumn 2022, invasive river crabs were discovered in the stream, apparently released by a single individual. The Nature and Parks Authority decided to halt the water flow and dry out the stream during the warm season to eradicate the invasive species. According to the Authority, no crabs have been documented since the drying, and environmental DNA tests in the stream water have come back negative.
The Authority had promised that once the crabs were eliminated, water flow would resume, and on erev Sukkos, the pools had indeed refilled, baruch Hashem, allowing for immersion once again.
A reminder: it is forbidden to release any non-native animal into nature. Not a crab, and certainly not a crocodile. Keep Eretz Hakodesh clean.
Nothing in this article constitutes a recommendation to undertake the described hiking route. The content describes the writer's personal experience and does not represent an endorsement of the route's safety. Anyone visiting the location or undertaking the route does so at their own exclusive responsibility.
As always, we recommend that readers obey all signage posted by authorities in the field and strictly observe safety instructions and legal requirements. Before any outdoor excursion, check the weather forecast and consult with the relevant authorities. Entry to nature reserves requires advance coordination through the Nature and Parks Authority website.
For inquiries regarding water access and other matters:
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