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In 1951 JNF embarked on the largest environmental project undertaken in the region till that time: the draining of the Hula lake and marshlands, which covered an area of some 10,000 acres and affected also an additional 4,500 acres that were flooded in winter. Its main aims were to create more agricultural settlements; to reclaim land for agriculture; to save on the amount of water lost to evaporation (estimates at the time spoke of 28 million cu. m. a year); and to mine the peat lands and sell peat as organic waste and fuel.
The Hula was drained by deepening the Jordan channel to the south and excavating two canals. The Jordan's original water course was abandoned and over the years became clogged. At the request of nature lovers, JNF left an area of some 750 acres as a nature reserve, Israel's first.
In the wake of the drainage, the Galilee gained an additional 16,500 acres) of arable land, no small achievement. In other respects, however, the operation did not live up to its promise, but even caused real environmental damage. One of the worst effects was on the quality of water flowing into the Sea of Galilee. Nitrate complexes, used to fertilize fields, now drained from the Hula Valley into the Sea of Galilee: previously, Lake Hula had served as a natural sedimentation basin which protected the Sea of Galilee from Jordan River debris. The peat lands became particularly problematic. As it turned out, there was no demand for dry peat, and its organic matter, being highly combustible, caused spontaneous fires that burned for months. And to make matters worse, dry peat tends to shrink and sink. From the time of the drainage to the start of the 90s, the Hula peat lands had sunk by more than three meters.
In 1994, JNF tackled the problem. It deepened the original channel of the Jordan in the Hula Valley and reflooded an area of 250 acres. The water reaching the lake remains there for a while and deposits its organic matter before continuing on to the Sea of Galilee. The new lake serves also nature conservation. The Hula now has another significant water body, which is a boon for the migratory birds.
