GHLands : The repercussions of the algae crisis that affected the waters of the Mediterranean have not stopped at desalination plants. They have now begun to appear more clearly in the Sea of Galilee, after the water system was forced to increase its reliance on natural sources to make up for the shortage resulting from the shutdown of most major desalination facilities.
Satellite images taken during August and September 2026 show a noticeable retreat of the lake’s shoreline, with parts of the lakebed that had been submerged becoming visible. Official data indicate that the water level fell by tens of centimeters over the course of just a few weeks.
The Sea of Galilee Under Increasing Pressure from Water Extraction
A comparison of satellite images taken on August 2, September 1 and September 11 shows a clear retreat in the water coverage, while the lake’s water level fell by about 11 centimeters during the recent period.
This decline is not linked to a single factor. Drought and increased evaporation during the summer months are placing natural pressure on the lake, but increased water pumping has added another factor to the equation, as the lake has become a source used by the water system to compensate for part of the shortage caused by the shutdown of desalination plants.
The data indicate that August recorded the largest decline in the Sea of Galilee’s water level since the beginning of the year, at about 27.5 centimeters. The decline reflects a combination of climatic conditions and increased water extraction.
According to Israeli media reports, around 3.3 million cubic meters of water were withdrawn from the lake in order to maintain stable supplies for domestic and agricultural use.
When Desalination Stops, the Water Balance Changes
The main paradox in the crisis is that the problem did not begin in the Sea of Galilee, but in the sea.
Images taken by the European Sentinel-2 satellite on September 1 showed changes in the colors of large areas of coastal waters in the eastern Mediterranean, with greenish shades appearing across areas extending along parts of the coast.
The phenomenon coincided with increased turbidity in seawater, while Israeli research bodies linked these changes to a widespread bloom of microscopic algae.
The result was an unusual disruption in the desalination sector, after five of the six major desalination facilities along the Mediterranean coast stopped operating.
The facilities that stopped operating included the Ashkelon, Ashdod, Palmachim, Sorek A and Sorek B plants, while the Hadera facility continued to operate normally.
The problem thus shifted from being an operational crisis affecting coastal facilities to a crisis affecting the distribution of water sources as a whole.
One Chain… From the Coast to the Lake
When desalination capacity declines, the lost quantities must be replaced to maintain stable supplies. With limited alternatives available for quickly making up the shortfall, the system turns to natural water sources, foremost among them the Sea of Galilee.
This explains part of the rapid decline in the lake’s water level during the recent period.
Satellite images show that changes in the color of seawater had appeared to varying degrees during earlier periods, but they appeared more extensive and intense in early September, particularly in sections of the southern and central coast, while the area opposite Hadera appeared to be less affected.
These images alone do not mean that algae were the sole cause of the observed changes. However, they coincided in time with the crisis that led to the shutdown of most desalination plants, placing the water system under unusual pressure.
A Test for a System That Relies on the Sea
The significance of the crisis goes beyond the decline in the lake’s water level, as it reveals the extent of the interconnectedness between the different components of the water system.
Desalination plants have provided an important source of water in recent years, helping reduce pressure on some natural sources. But the shutdown of five facilities within a similar period redirected part of the demand toward other sources, which quickly affected the Sea of Galilee.
Israeli media quoted an official at the national water company as saying that the shutdown of the desalination plants prompted the company to operate the natural water-source system at full capacity to make up for the shortage.
This means that the problem is no longer related to a single plant or facility. Instead, it has become linked to the system’s ability to absorb a sudden shock when one of its main sources is disrupted.
Temporary Crisis or Broader Warning?
It is still too early to consider the decline in the Sea of Galilee an indication of a long-term water crisis, particularly since part of the decline is linked to known seasonal factors such as drought and evaporation.
However, the speed with which the lake has been used to compensate for the shutdown of most desalination facilities raises a broader question about the water system’s ability to confront disruptions occurring simultaneously across more than one source.
The water that is supposed to come from the sea is no longer available in its usual quantities, while natural water sources are beginning to bear the additional burden, as climatic factors continue to place pressure on water reserves.
The algae crisis therefore reveals a clear paradox: whenever the coastal desalination system is disrupted, part of the pressure shifts inland, eventually reaching the Sea of Galilee.
What may initially appear to be a limited environmental problem could, if it continues or recurs, turn into a real test of the resilience of the water system and its ability to deal with a disruption affecting more than one source at the same time.
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