The meeting of stream-city happens in gradual stages from completely wild at its birth in the mountains, to more timid in the city’s agricultural fields in the shape of a large ecological water reservoir, to a controlled urban enhancer when it enters the main city street, the Ga’aton.
The initial stream meets city happens way East of the city borders in the surrounding mountains. The two streams that flow across Nahariya, the Ga’aton and the Gola which currently are more of a curse than blessing, will be connected with a new reservoir. This reservoir will help regulate the water flow between the two and prevent the seasonal overflow.
This will be done far away from the city, where the two streams pose no danger.
From there, the main body of water, the Ga’aton flows in an open riverbed to an urban reservoir at the edge of the city, where further regulating of the waterflow can be done. In wintertime, water level is higher and less water is released downstream into the city. In summertime, water level drops when water is released downstream to ensure the stream running through the Ga’aton never dries up. Year round it is an exciting addition to the city, a hotspot or rather cool spot, an ecological lake that becomes a new eco system, drawing nature lovers from near and far.
When the stream enters the main city street, the Ga’aton, it divides into two avenues. This allows for a better regulating of the water. The first is the existing, out-of-sight canal that will now be covered over to allow a wider undivided street. The second is a stream flowing in a natural line in an open, shallow riverbed. It maneuvers gracefully and carefully from side to side in an effort to preserve as many of the existing trees as possible. As it flows through the street, the stream celebrates city life. It widens and narrows alternatively. It widens to accentuate street focal points like the city square, adding water fountains and water playgrounds to its functions, and narrows to allow the easy movement of pedestrians, cyclists and the tram across it. Finally, the stream finds the Mediterranean Sea in a coastline forested in Maritime Pine.
