Al-Oja springs region

The region No.                                       008

The district                                              Jericho

The area                                                  50km

The height                                                +100m, -100m

The latitude & longitude                          31 57`N 35 26`E

The description of the region:

Al-Oja spring region is located to the northwestern side of Jericho city. Along with being a wetland region, it is also a protected agricultural grassland region.  The eastern side of the region contains a part of the Jordan Valley. The climate of this region is similar to the Arabic desert climate.

On the western side of the region there are the Samia springs, which are another water source for the residents. The protected region is open for anyone who would like to visit.

The plants of this region:

There is total of 77 plant species belonging to 28 families.   It is expected that 200 species exist along the Wadi. (?)

The animals of this region:

 Rocky Hyrax, Gazella, Hystrix, Fox, Hyeana and Wolf. There are also some fish species and crustacean. (?)

The birds of this region:

Some of the resident birds are the Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Night Heron, Egyptian Vulture, Chukar (the number of this bird is currently unknown), and Falcons.  The Griffon Vulture passes through this area during wintertime.  There are many more resident and migrating birds that are found in Al-Oja spring region.  

 The negative effects:

• Military training: this region is one of regions where Israeli soldiers are trained how to use heavy weapons, furthering destruction of the plants and wildlife
• The unjust grassing (?)
• Garbage: both visitors and residents throw garbage on the ground, polluting the region and threating the wildlife
• Improper use of lands and water

The protection procedures:

• Encourage the Palestinian Society to invest in the protection of natural resources
• Train people in this region on how to appropriately manage protected areas
• Inform the public on the importance of this region as an important bird watching region
• Replant original trees
• Complete a comprehensive survey of the region in order to know more information about the condition of wildlife species living in this area