| Banias River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Banias spring[1] |
| • coordinates | 33°14′55″N35°41′40″E / 33.24861°N 35.69444°E /33.24861; 35.69444 |
| Mouth | |
• location | Dan River |
• coordinates | 33°11′45″N35°37′32″E / 33.1957°N 35.6256°E /33.1957; 35.6256 |
| Length | 9 km |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Upper Catchment of the Jordan River |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Sa'ar Stream Pera' Stream |
| • right | Guvta Stream Sion Stream[2] |
TheBanias (Arabic:نهر بانياس,romanized: Nahr Baniyas;Hebrew:נחל חרמון,romanized: Nahal Hermon)[3] is a river flowing from theGolan Heights toIsrael. It is the easternmost of the three main northern tributaries of theJordan River; together with theDan River and theHasbani River, it forms the Jordan River's uppercatchment (UCJR).[4] Israel has included the stream in theHermon nature reserve.
The main source of the Banias River is the Banias spring, located at the southern base of theHermon mountain range and contributing adischarge of 67·million m3 annually. From there the stream flows south for nine kilometers before draining into the Dan River just north ofSde Nehemia.[1][5] Along the way, itdrains the Guvta Stream (right), the Sa'ar Stream (left), the Pera' Stream (left), and the Sion (Ar.: el-'Asl[6]) Stream (right), with a totaldrainage area of 158 km2. The total annualstreamflow of the river comes to 106 million m3.[4]
The banks of the river abound in willow trees,oriental planes,silver-leaf poplars,Tabor oaks,Palestine oaks,Mt. Atlas mastics,terebinths,carobs, ferns,giant canes, and various vines.
The stream is home to a variety of fluvial fish, includinglonghead barbel,large-scale barbel,Damascus barbel, andtilapia. Living and roaming around the stream or in it arewild boars, Syrianrock hyrax,swamp cats,nutria, andIndian porcupines.[7]
Birds that frequent the vicinity of the stream includerock doves andWestern rock nuthatch.[8]
TheNewcombe-Paulet Agreement of 1923, endorsed later by the League of Nations, delineated the international boundary between the British Mandate and the French Mandate, effectively separating Palestine from Syria and Lebanon. According to the agreement, the stream itself would remain within British Mandate territory, while the village and springs would fall under French Mandate control ( therefor, part of Syria). Following thearmistice agreements after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, areas west of the international boundary line captured by Syria were designated as demilitarized zones. In practice, Syria took control of the northern part of the Banias Ridge in the early 1950s, leaving only the southern part of the stream under Israeli jurisdiction.[9]
In 1964, Syria mobilized heavy engineering equipment in the area and initiated a project to divert the stream eastward, aiming to prevent its waters from reaching Israel, which contravened international law. Israel strongly opposed this action, sparking an intense conflict over control of the Jordan River's water resources. A pivotal moment in this conflict was theIDF's operation on August 12, 1965, when they successfully destroyed the diversion equipment in a battle involving artillery and tanks. Despite Syrian efforts, they managed to dig only a small portion of the diversion before the area was later captured by Israel during theSix-Day War. During that conflict, a Syrian tank battalion ventured into the area, and during ensuing engagements, one of the tanks ended up submerged in the streambed, where it remained.[10]
Banias Spring is the spring contributing most of the discharge to the Hermon stream.
Rainfall and snowmelt of Mt. Hermon recharge the main tributaries of the UCJR: (1) Dan (252 x 106 m3 annually); (2) Snir also known as Hatzbani (118 x 106 m3); and (3) Hermon also known as Banias (106 x 106 m3) (Table 2 and Fig. 2).[dead link]
Nine kilometers from its source, the Hermon Stream meets the Dan, and together they form the Jordan River.
במי הנחל רבים הדגים, ביניהם: בינית-ארֻכת-רֹאש, בינית גדולת-הקשקשים, חפף, בינון, לבנונית ואמנוּן.
Sometimes, rock hyrax can be found, lying on the piled-up rocks, and flocks of rock doves nest in depths of caves. You can occasionally spot Neumayer's Rock Nuthatch, which flies from Mount Hermon, and black sweet-water snails (melanopsis praemorsa) lie on the floor of pools.
