When was Heinz Steinitz born?
Heinz Steinitz
Lake Kinneret is the largest aboveground freshwater reservoir in Israel. The lake is fed mainly by the Jordan River down-flowing from Lake Hula and the Hula valley. Two development projects in the 1950s profoundly impacted the ecosystem of Lake Kinneret: (i) Lake Hula and its marshland were drained and dried, and the soil revealed was converted to farmland. Consequently, the mineral salts composition of the water entering into Lake Kinneret was altered significantly. (ii) A water carrier was constructed and great amounts of drinking water began to be pumped and conducted from Lake Kinneret to central and south Israel. Science-based sustainable management of the lake's water quantity and quality, including understanding of the lake's biota as part of its ecosystem, became necessary. Steinitz chaired a joint committee of Mekorot (the national water company of Israel and the country's top agency for water management) and Tahal (TAHAL Group, the major provider of infrastructure development water projects), coordinating multidisciplinary investigation of Lake Kinneret. In parallel, The Kinneret Limnological Laboratory as part of Israel Oceanographic Limnological Research was founded in 1968. Ensuing research of the physical, chemical, biological and environmental components of the lake's ecosystem continuously supports intelligent management of this important national freshwater resource.[26]