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The Litani River (Arabic: نهر الليطاني, romanized: Nahr al-Līṭānī), the classical Leontes (Ancient Greek: Λεόντης, romanized: Leóntes, lit. 'lion river'), is an important water resource in southern Lebanon. The river rises in the fertile Beqaa Valley, west of Baalbek, and empties into the Mediterranean Sea north of Tyre. Exceeding 140 kilometres (87 mi) in length, the Litani is the longest river that flows entirely in Lebanon and provides an average annual flow estimated at 920 million cubic meters (over 240 million Imperial gallons or 243 million U.S. gallons). [1][2] The Litani provides a major source for water supply, irrigation and hydroelectricity both within Southern Lebanon, and the country as a whole.
| Litani River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The Litani River in maroon, the Lebanese capital city Beirut in red | |
| Location | |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | Mediterranean Sea |
 | |
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The Litani is named after the Ugaritic deity Ltn (reconstructed pronunciation līyitānu[3]), a seven-headed sea serpent and servant of the sea god Yam.[4] The ī in the Lebanese name preserves the hypothesized ī in Ugaritic. The river that winds and coils like a serpent through the Beqaa Valley was believed[by whom?] to be the personification of the deity.[5]
![[icon]](#/media/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion with: information about the river's importance in the Arab-Israeli conflict. You can help by adding to it. (December 2024) |
Historians in the past have suggested that the location of Biblical Misrephoth Maim, the place to which Joshua chased the various tribes after their defeat at the waters of Merom, was the river-mouth of the Litani River. [6]
The Litani River, stretching 174 km with 60 km of tributaries, traverses diverse climates from coastal subtropical to dry continental. Its basin encompasses 2110 km2, making it the largest watershed in Lebanon and covering about 20% of the country's total area. The basin spans 263 villages in 12 districts and 4 governorates, covering a significant portion of Lebanon's ecological landscape and contributing around 30% of the total water flow in the country.[7]
Within the basin of the Litani River, there are notable natural features, including Kafr Zabad (60 ha), characterized by marshland, constant springs, riparian woodland, and pine woodlands. The Aammiq wetlands (280 ha), designated a World Nature Reserve, serves as an important point in global bird migration routes, hosting nearly 250 bird species. The Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve (55,000 ha), with its eastern section falling within the basin, contributes to the conservation of Lebanese cedars.[7]
After heading south parallel to the Syrian border, the course of the river bends westward. Near this bend, the Litani comes within five km of the Hasbani River.
Qasimiyeh
The portion of the river flowing west is called the Qasimiyeh. The Qasmieh-Ras-el-Aïn region, irrigated from the river's lower reaches from main irrigation canals, to south and north, is one of the largest irrigated areas in the nation, consisting of 32.64 km², shared among 1257 irrigating farmers, who concentrate on citrus crops and bananas (Raad 2004).
For the entire stretch of the Qasimiyeh as it flows into the Mediterranean Sea, the Litani River remains nearly parallel to (and about 29 km (18 mi) north of) the Israeli-Lebanese border. 10 km north of Tyre, the river is crossed by the ancient Leontes Bridge. In June 1941, the mouth of the river was the site of an attack by British commandos and Australian troops on Vichy French forces that became known as the Battle of the Litani River.
Bridges over the Litani
(Jisr means bridge in Arabic)
- Jisr el-Kasmieh/Qasimiyeh (Roman Leontes Bridge); in ruins
- Jisr el Akai
- Jisr el-Khardali
- Jisr el-Khatueh (Kakhieh)
- Jisr el-Burghuz
- Jisr el-Meshghara
- Jisr el-Karaoum
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Lake Qaraoun, an artificial lake of 12 square km, was created by the Litani River Dam, 60 meters high and 1,350 meters in length, which was completed in 1959.[8] A spillway of 6503 meters carries the water to the underground station where generators produce a maximum of 185 megawatts of electricity, the largest hydroelectric project in Lebanon. The dam was intended eventually to provide irrigation for 310 km² of farmland in South Lebanon and 80 km² in the Beqaa Valley. The office is at the southern (dam) end of the lake on the left side.
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The Litani River Authority[9] was formed in 1954 to facilitate the integrated development of the Litani River Basin. Shortly after its formation, the authority engaged in a massive hydroelectric development project[9] that tapped the 850 meter head potential between Lake Qaraoun and the Mediterranean.
This development has brought about major hydrological changes to the Litani River Basin, where the flows from its upper reaches above Lake Qaraoun, referred to as the Upper Litani Basin, are diverted through a system of tunnels, ponds and plants, to meet the Mediterranean several kilometers north of its original natural tailwater. These changes resulted in the effective hydrological separation between the Upper Litani Basin and the lower reaches.
The advent of a protracted civil strife in the 1970s followed by a prolonged occupation in the 1980s that lasted into the 1990s, plunged Lebanon into disarray, freezing development and investment in infrastructure. The return to normal conditions has encouraged the river authority to initiate several major water diversion projects from the Upper Litani Basin worth hundreds of millions of US dollars.
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A crucial aspect of the Litani River's importance lies in its role as an agricultural lifeline. It irrigates thousands of hectares of farmland, contributing significantly to Lebanon's food security. Approximately 31% of the income within the basin stems from agriculture, sustaining a considerable portion of the population.[10]
The Litani River contends with pollution concerns, impacting both the river itself and the Qaraaoun Reservoir. Numerous studies, including microbiological and chemical analyses, revealed contamination exceeding standard levels. The root causes include uncontrolled sewage disposal and the indiscriminate use of fertilizers in agriculture, threatening both water quality and the health of the river.[11]
- Battle of the Litani River (1941), during the Second World War, between Allied forces and Vichy French troops
- Operation Litani, 1978 Israeli invasion of Southern Lebanon
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