Nahal Poleg
Encyclopedia
Nahal Poleg is a stream in the Sharon plain in Israel
that empties into the Mediterranean Sea
between Netanya
and the Wingate Institute
.
, east of Mishmeret
. It runs west to the sea, veering north at Batzra
. It is mostly intermittent, and becomes a Perennial stream
towards its end. There is a man-made opening in the Kurkar ridge that runs south-north along the coastal plain.
, and reopened during the Roman
period. By the thirteenth century CE, the opening was clogged, resulting in a 4000-dunam
marsh
. The opening was cleared again in 1935, and the stream's current course was set in the area east of the kurkar ridge.
, between Highway 2
and the Mediterranean. It covers 500 dunam
s, and was declared a reserve in 1971.
Flora in the reserve includes a coastal variety of Boxthorn
, Ephedra
aphylla, Calicotome
villosa, the endemic Rumex
rothschildianus, Iris
atropurpurea, Lupin
, and Tulip
a agenensis sharonensis.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
that empties into the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
between Netanya
Netanya
Netanya is a city in the Northern Centre District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is located north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north.Its of beaches have made the...
and the Wingate Institute
Wingate Institute
The Wingate Institute is a sports training facility located south of Netanya, Israel, established in 1957. Named after Orde Wingate, the facility serves as the host facility for numerous Israeli national teams as well as a military training base....
.
Course
The stream starts between Tira and Ramat HaKoveshRamat HaKovesh
Ramat HaKovesh is a kibbutz in central Israel. Located approximately 7 kilometers north of Kfar Sava, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Drom HaSharon Regional Council. It has a population of 614.- History :...
, east of Mishmeret
Mishmeret
Mishmeret is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain near Netanya and the HaSharon Junction and covering 3,800 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lev HaSharon Regional Council. In 2009 it had a population of 972....
. It runs west to the sea, veering north at Batzra
Batzra
Batzra is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain near Ra'anana, it was redeemed by South African Jewry. In 1947 it had a population of 80. It falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaSharon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 868....
. It is mostly intermittent, and becomes a Perennial stream
Perennial stream
A perennial stream or perennial river is a stream or river that has continuous flow in parts of its bed all year round during years of normal rainfall. "Perennial" streams are contrasted with "intermittent" streams which normally cease flowing for weeks or months each year, and with "ephemeral"...
towards its end. There is a man-made opening in the Kurkar ridge that runs south-north along the coastal plain.
History
The nearby Tel Poleg archaeological site, was excavated, revealing a fortified city of the Middle Bronze Age. The site has mostly been destroyed by a modern quarry. The original opening in the kurkar ridge was made in the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, and reopened during the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
period. By the thirteenth century CE, the opening was clogged, resulting in a 4000-dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
. The opening was cleared again in 1935, and the stream's current course was set in the area east of the kurkar ridge.
Nature Reserve
The Nahal Poleg nature reserve is situated between the Wingate Institute and Ramat PolegNetanya
Netanya is a city in the Northern Centre District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is located north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north.Its of beaches have made the...
, between Highway 2
Highway 2 (Israel)
Highway 2 is an Israeli highway located on the coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea. It stretches from Tel Aviv to Haifa. The highway is also called The Coastal Highway or The New Haifa - Tel Aviv Highway ....
and the Mediterranean. It covers 500 dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s, and was declared a reserve in 1971.
Flora in the reserve includes a coastal variety of Boxthorn
Boxthorn
Boxthorn is a genus of the nightshade family , containing about 90 species of plants native throughout much of the temperate and subtropical zones of the world...
, Ephedra
Ephedra
Ephedra refers to the plant Ephedra sinica. E. sinica, known in Chinese as ma huang , has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for 5,000 years for the treatment of asthma and hay fever, as well as for the common cold...
aphylla, Calicotome
Calicotome
Calicotome is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the sub family Faboideae. It may be synonymous with Cytisus.- Species :Both species of the genus are thorny shrubs.*Calicotome spinosa...
villosa, the endemic Rumex
Rumex
The docks and sorrels, genus Rumex L., are a genus of about 200 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbs in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae....
rothschildianus, Iris
Iris (plant)
Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
atropurpurea, Lupin
Lupin
Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins or lupines , is a genus in the legume family . The genus comprises about 280 species , with major centers of diversity in South and western North America , and the Andes and secondary centers in the Mediterranean region and Africa Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins...
, and Tulip
Tulip
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
a agenensis sharonensis.