The Ein Afek Nature Reserve (also En Afek, En Afeq, Ain Afek) is a
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
in the Acre Valley within the
Zvulun Valley
The Zevulun Valley or Zvulun Valley ( he, עמק זבולון, Emek Zvulun) is a fertile coastal territory in the North of Israel, part of the Israeli coastal plain along the Haifa Bay.
The length of the valley is 14 km, with its maximum wid ...
, Israel. It covers the swamps and springs at the source of the
Na'aman River
Na'aman River, ( he, נחל נעמן, Nahal Na'aman; ar, نهر النعامين, Nahr Na'mein), is a stream in northwestern Israel. To the ancient writers Pliny, Tacitus and Josephus it was known as the Belus or Belos River of Phoenicia.
The N ...
, as well as the
Tel Afek
Tel Afek, ( he, תל אפק), also spelled Aphek and Afeq, is an archaeological site located in the coastal hinterland of the Ein Afek Nature Reserve, east of Kiryat Bialik, Israel. It is also known as Tel Kurdani.
History Antiquity
The site i ...
archaeological site. The origin of the name is the biblical city of
Afek.
The nature reserve, declared in 1979, covers 366
dunams. An additional 300 dunams were declared in 1994.
The highlights of the park include the
Crusader fortress and the natural water canals and lake, which draw their waters from the year-long flowing springs of Afek, which are the source of the
Naaman river.
In 1996 it was recognized as a
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
** .
[ It preserves the remnants of the vast swamps in the Acre Valley, drained and pumped out."Not your typical day job. When your office is in a nature reserve"]
''The Jerusalem Post
''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper ...
''. August 27, 2015

References
Nature reserves in Israel
Ramsar sites in Israel
Protected areas of Haifa District
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