HARNESSING JORDAN.

Shannon News, 6 December 1929, Page 1

HARNESSING JORDAN.

POWER FOR PALESTINE. - (By Harold J. Shepstone, F.R.G.S.) “What Palestine needs to-day is cheap electric power, and this is to be supplied by harnessing the Jordan. On this sacred stream three modern power-houses are to be erected, and the accompanying article describes how this work is now being carried out. Palestine's most sacred river, the Jordan, so closely associated with Old and New Testament'history, will shortly be lined with modern power-houses, great dams, canals and huge reservoirs. This historic stream, which the Israelites crossed dry-shod while the Ark of the Covenant rested in the middle of the bed of the river-—in whose waters Naaman bathed and was cured of his

leprosy, and where Christ was baptised, is being harnessed to supply the cities of the "Holy Land with cheap electric power. In many respects the Jordan is a remarkable stream. Rising on the slopes of snowy Hermon in the antiLebanon range, it flows into Lake Hulch, or the Sea of Merom, as some call it, and thence into Lake Tiberias, or the Sea of Galilee, a district closely associated with Christ's ministry on

earth. The waters of this historic lake are to be maintained at a given level, so as to ensure a sufficient flow for driving the turbines of the two powerhouses which are being erected on the banks of the Jordan away to the South. It is from the sea pf Galilee that the Jordan emerges as a rushing torrent, finally emptying itself into the Dead fiea. Although the distance between these two points in a straight line is only 6G miles, the river, owing to its many windings, makes almost three times that distance. Then the drop is tremendous, over 2000 feet. For the most part the river flows between high banks lined with willow trees and tamarisk bushes, while intercepting its course are picturesque islands. Owing

to cataracts in the stream, the Jordan could never become a highway of commerce, being uhnavigable except for short distances. It discharges' over 5,000,000 tons of fresh water into the Dead Sea daily, which up to the present has not- been utilised in any way. Now harnessing it will not only pro: duce electric power, but irrigate vast unproductive areas in the Jordan Valley. Here, on what is to-day waste land, thriving agricultural settlements will arise,'on"which cotton and tropical fruits will be cultivated. Experiments have shown that in the hot Jordan Valley the cotton plant changes its character of an annual herb into a perennial bush. The erection of the power-houses is being carried out by the Palestine Electric Corporation, from plans prepared by Mr. P. Rutenberg, a

civil engineer, whose name lias been much to the fore in Palestine develop raent schemes. lie has worked out a scheme for the completed utilisation of l,I;e power resources of the Jordan from the Hermon to the Dead-Sea, including its main tributaries, the rivers Yarmuk and Jabbok. The work calls for the dredging and damming of the River Jordan, the creation of artificial lakes for storage purposes, the construction of both power and irrigating channels, and the erection of three modern hydro electric generating stations. A powerhouse has been erected at Jisr-el-Mujumch, seven miles south of the S. of Galilee. Here, a modern construe tion camp has arisen, and named Naharaim (two rivers), some 600 workmen have taken up their residence'here, and everything is being done for their comfort. They take their meals in a spacious dining-room which is run by the company, and sleep in the concrete bungalows specially designed to counteract the heat, As this spot lies 700 feet below sea level, it is warm in sum mer. A temporary power-house generating 610 horse power has been install ed for lighting the camp and driving machinery. Across the, Tarmulc a dam is being thrown. It will be 30 fee' high and result in the formation of « lake with a Yrnter area of 1,200,000 square metres. A second dam will cross the Jordan at the Village of Dalhamuch. It will create another reservoir. and will raise the waters of the Jordan to the necessary level and permit them to be diverted by- a canal, 6000 feet in length, into the Yarmuk reservoir, 'flic canal will pass under

the Haifa-Damascus railway, as well as under the Semakh-Bcisan road. A second canal 600 ft long, will carry the waters of the Yarmuk reservoir to the penstocks of the power-house at Jisr-el-Mujameh. This station will have an output of 24,000 horse power and is expected to be operating by the end of * 1029 or beginning, of 1930. The second power-house will be erected at Abadieh, and will be fed by the flow

from the Sea of Galilee. The Jordan outlet from this lake will be dredged to a depth of 20 to 25ft, and through this channel the-Yarmuk and Jordan waters will feed the turbines of both power-houses. The third power-house will be north of the. Sea of Galilee, and the turbines here driven by the Jordan, the fall of this stream in i,ts 12-mile course between Lake Hulch and the Sea of Galilee being no less than 600 ft. These three power-houses, all of which will bo operated by the waters of the Jordan and its tributaries, will constitute the first stages for the comprehensive electrification of the Holy Lana. Fuel-power stand-by stations forming an important element in the assurance of the continuity of the supply o:

electric energy ha?e already been erected in Jaffa, Haifa and Tiberias, having an output of 1000, 1200 and 500 horsepower respectively. This scheme for the electrification of .the Holy Land is unique in that it is designed to cover " the needs of the whole country. In the near future every city, town and agricultural settlement will be able t» obtain electrical energy for lighting, heating and power purposes. Further more, the Government will regulate the charges, and cheap power will be the result, It seems strange to think of the Holy Places., Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth as being so modernised, and that the sacred way along which our Lord passed to Calvary, is now lighted from the waters of the Jordan, in which He was baptised. All this wonderful power has been lying dormant for thousands of years, until the race, by whom it was to -be developed, in God’s almighty plan, had it in possession ' J/. k\2