Nahal Taninim or Tanninim (Hebrew: נחל תנינים, lit. 'Crocodiles Stream') or Wadi az-Zarka (Arabic: وَادِي الزرقاء, lit. 'Blue Stream') is a river in Israel near the Arab town Jisr az-Zarqa, originating near Ramot Menashe and emptying into the Mediterranean Sea south of Ma'agan Michael. It marks the southern limit of the Hof HaCarmel, or Carmel Coastal Plain region.

there is a dam on the river channel that is used for a nearby plant. in the rainy season if the water level is high enough, the water is diverted to a reservoir to enrich the groundwater.

Etymology

The river is named for the Nile crocodiles that inhabited the nearby Kebara swamps until the early 20th century. The last crocodile was hunted in 1912^[1][2] and is part of a German taxidermic collection currently on display at the natural history museum of the Tel Aviv University.^[3]

The remains of Krokodelion polis, Greek for "Crocodiles City", a city established there in the Persian period (5th–4th century BCE), are still visible today.^[4]

See also the mythological monster Tannin.

History

The name River of Crocodiles dates as far back as the Third Crusade, during which the crocodiles devoured two knights who were bathing in the river.^[5]

Hydrology

The area of the basin and its tributaries is about 200 square kilometers, including the Taninim, Ada, Barkan, Alona and Mishmarot streams. Nahal Taninim is the cleanest of Israel's coastal rivers.^[1] Three waterways meet in Nahal Taninim: the natural stream, a Roman aqueduct extending from the Zabrin springs to Caesarea, and Mifale Menashe, the waterworks that collect surface runoff water and springwater, routing it into the subterranean water table.^[6]

Flora and fauna

The dense undergrowth and reeds along Nahal Taninim are home to many different birds, among them waterside warblers and other songbirds.^[7]