Nahal Kziv ( he, נחל כזיב) (lit. "Kziv stream") or the Horn Valley ( ar, وادي القرن, Wadi al Qarn) is a 39-kilometer long

perennial stream A perennial stream is a stream that has continuous flow of surface water throughout the year in at least parts of its catchment during seasons of normal rainfall, Water Supply Paper 494. as opposed to intermittent river, one whose flow is interm ...

in the

Upper Galilee The Upper Galilee ( he, הגליל העליון, ''HaGalil Ha'Elyon''; ar, الجليل الأعلى, ''Al Jaleel Al A'alaa'') is a geographical-political term in use since the end of the Second Temple period. It originally referred to a mountai ...

, Israel. During the winter, rainfall fills the channel, and springs along the riverbed add to the flow. Currently,

Mekorot Mekorot ( he, מקורות, lit. "Sources") is the national water company of Israel and the country's top agency for water management. Founded in 1937, it supplies Israel with 90% of its drinking water and operates a cross-country water supply ne ...

(the Israeli national water company) pumps the water of the river's principal spring, Ein Ziv, and supplies it to the residents of the

Western Galilee Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galile ...

, making the channel between Ein Ziv and Ein Tamir an

intermittent stream Intermittent, temporary or seasonal rivers or streams cease to flow every year or at least twice every five years.(Tzoraki et al., 2007) Such rivers drain large arid and semi-arid areas, covering approximately a third of the earth's surface. ...

. On the southern ridge overlooking the valley sits a 12th-century Crusader castle, Montfort,Monfort Crusader castle
/ref> the old headquarters of the Teutonic Order in the Holy Land.

Geography

The Horn Valley flows from the western side of

Mount Meron Mount Meron ( he, הַר מֵירוֹן, ''Har Meron''; ar, جبل الجرمق, ''Jabal al-Jarmaq'') is a mountain in the Upper Galilee region of Israel. It has special significance in Jewish religious tradition and parts of it have been decla ...

near

Beit Jann Beit Jann ( ar, بيت جن; he, בֵּיתּ גַ'ן) is a Druze village on Mount Meron in northern Israel. At 940 meters above sea level, Beit Jann is one of the highest inhabited locations in the country. In it had a population of . Etymol ...

, westward to its

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

, north of and

Achziv Achziv ( he, אַכְזִיב} ''ʾAḵzīḇ''; ar, الزيب, ''Az-Zīb'') is an ancient site on the Mediterranean coast of northern Israel, between the border with Lebanon and the city of Acre. It is located north of Acre on the coast of ...

. It is the longest stream in the Galilee, with the widest drainage basin. The channel passes nearby

Hurfeish Hurfeish ( ar, حرفيش; he, חֻרְפֵישׁ; lit. "milk thistle"Vilnay, 1964, p501/ref> or possibly from "snake" Palmer, 1881, p72/ref>) is a Druze town in the Northern District of Israel. In it had a population of . History The town i ...

Abirim Abirim ( he, אַבִּירִים, ''lit.'' Knights), also known as Mitzpe Abirim, is a community settlement in northern Israel. Located in the Upper Galilee, three kilometres from Ma'alot-Tarshiha, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef ...

Mi'ilya Mi'ilya ( ar, معليا, he, מִעִלְיָא) is an Arab local council in the western Galilee in the Northern District of Israel. Its name during the Kingdom of Jerusalem era in Galilee was Castellum Regis. In it had a population of , all ...

Mitzpe Hila Mitzpe Hila ( he, מִצְפֵּה הִלָּה, ''lit.'' Hila Lookout) or simply Hila is a community settlement in northern Israel. Located in the western Galilee hills near the Lebanese border, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef R ...

Neve Ziv Neve Ziv ( he, נְוֵה זִיו, ''lit.'' Brightness Home), also known as Ziv HaGalil ( he, זִיו הַגָּלִיל, ''lit.'' Brightness of the Galilee) is a community settlement in northern Israel. Located east of Nahariya, it falls under ...

Goren Goren ( he, גֹּרֶן, גורן, ''lit.'' Granary) is a moshav in northern Israel. Located in the Western Galilee near Ma'alot-Tarshiha, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. In it had a population of . History Th ...

, Manot, and

Ma'alot-Tarshiha Ma'alot-Tarshiha ( he, מַעֲלוֹת-תַּרְשִׁיחָא; ar, معالوت ترشيحا, ''Maʻālūt Taršīḥā'') is a city in the North District in Israel, some east of Nahariya, about above sea level. The city was established in 1 ...

. Springs along the channel include: * Ein Ziv * Ein Tamir (after which the stream becomes perennial). * Ein Hardalit * Ein Yakim

Nature reserve

Most of the stream is part of a nature reserve that bears its name, and includes the

Montfort Castle Montfort ( he, מבצר מונפור, Mivtzar Monfor; ar, قلعة القرين, ''Qal'at al-Qurain'' or ''Qal'at al-Qarn'' - "Castle of the Little Horn" or "Castle of the Horn") is a ruined Crusader castle in the Upper Galilee region in north ...

and other Crusader-period ruins. A stone carving of a man, 1.78 m high can be found near where the Abirim stream empties into the Horn Valley. The carving is thought to date from the

Hellenistic period In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in 3 ...

. Flora in the area includes ''

Lilium candidum ''Lilium candidum'', the Madonna lily or white lily, is a plant in the Lilium, true lily family. It is native to the Balkans and Middle East, and naturalized in other parts of Europe, including France, Italy, and Ukraine, and in North Africa, the ...

'', ''

Rubus ''Rubus'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, with over 1,350 species. Raspberries, blackberries, and dewberries are common, widely distributed members of the genus. Most of these ...

sanguineus'', ''

Nerium oleander ''Nerium oleander'' ( ), most commonly known as oleander or nerium, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the ge ...

'', ''

Platanus orientalis ''Platanus orientalis'', the Old World sycamore or Oriental plane, is a large, deciduous tree of the Platanaceae family, growing to or more, and known for its longevity and spreading crown. In autumn its deep green leaves may change to blood red ...

'', ''

Artemisia arborescens ''Artemisia arborescens'', the tree wormwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the Mediterranean region. It is an erect evergreen perennial, with masses of finely-divided aromatic silvery-white leaves and single ...

'', and

Fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

Persian fallow deer The Persian fallow deer (''Dama mesopotamica'') is a deer species once native to all of the Middle East, but currently only living in Iran and Israel. It was reintroduced in Israel. It has been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2008 ...

were brought to the area in 1996, as part of an effort to prevent extinction of the species. Other wildlife belonging to the nature reserve include golden jackals, wolves, wild boar, and the rare striped hyena.

References

External links

Hikes in Nahal Kziv
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kziv, Nahal Rivers of Israel Nature reserves in Israel Protected areas of Northern District (Israel)