The drainage basin of Lake Kinneret (2730 km²), of which 200 km² of the Hula Valley (7.3%), is part of the northern section of the Syrian-African Great Rift-Valley. The Hula Valley has undergone historical long-term attractive attention resulting from its geopolitical location and availability of transportive water routes, plenty of water, food production resources and suitable climate conditions. The geological history of the sedimentation process in the Hula Valley was widely documented [1] - [9] . The integration between human management and natural habitats within the Hula Valley was optimal since no drastic anthropogenic intervention was carried out [9] - [11] . Therefore, until 1957 most of the Hula Valley was covered by swampy shallow wetland waters and old Lake Hula (13.5 km² and mean depth 1.5 m) [10] - [12] . Emerged plant vegetation of Cyperus papyrus and Phragmites australis australis covered densely the swampy wetlands. Submerged plants were densely distributed within the swampy waters. Organic matter (60 - 80% content) was accumulated on the bottom of the swampy wetlands and decomposed under anoxic conditions creating Lignite-Peat material whilst the bottom sediments of the old Lake Hula were Calcium rich [1] - [9] .

Throughout the Anthropocene the Hula Valley is a compatible interlock of anthropogenic achievement into national economy, water supply, agriculture, nature protection and tourism managements. The Kinneret catchment comprised of three headwaters, Hatzbani, Banyas and Dan, flowing southward down from Mount Hermon connected together with several other streams, and non-point runoffs, forming the Jordan River which contributes about 63% of the Kinneret water budget conveying about 70% of nutrient inputs loads. The Hula Valley was mostly covered by swampy wetlands and old Lake Hula which were drained and land-use was modified from natural environment to agriculture. During 40 years, the drained area was successfully cultivated and the agricultural products were economically produced and nutrient flux into Lake Kinneret did not thoroughly threaten its water quality. Nevertheless, as a result of inappropriate methods of irrigation and decline of the Ground Water Table (GWT), heavy dust storms occurred frequently which resulted in subsidence of soil surface and blocking of drainage canals. Outbreaks of underground fire occurred frequently and Rodent population outbreak caused severe damage to agricultural crops. A reclamation project, the “Hula Project”, was proposed and implemented. The Hula Project, included increasing soil moisture by elevating GWT, changing the irrigation system and renewing the hydrological canal system throughout the entire valley. A shallow Lake Agmon (0.2 average depth; 82 ha surface area) was created as a waste collector and recreational site. A plastic sheet (4 mm thickness) was placed vertically (0 - 4.5 m) along 2.8 km, crossing the valley, to prevent underground nutrients leaking southward.

After the implementation of the Hula Project it was indicated that N and P loads removed by the Agmon-Hula system is minor: 1.0 - 2.0 tons TP and 25 - 30 tons TN annually [10] [11] . The principal cmponents of the Hydrologicl system in the Hula vlley are: Newly created shallow Lake Agmon-Hula (surface area—82 ha, mean depth—0.2 m), 90 km of renewed darainagee and water supply canals of which the principals are Canal Z, Canal Hula East (which convey Peat Soil Drained waters) and the reconstructed Jordan route. Calculated water balance (10⁶ m³/y) of Lake Agmon-Hula has indicated significant loss through infiltration: Total gain—11.3, total loss—8.5, water level increase—0.1, and −2.7 (24% of the inflow) loss through bottom infiltration of rich nutrient water and residence time of 2.8 days. Mass balance of Lake Agmon-Hula has indicated different fate of TN and TP: Higher TP outflow (1.2 t/y) than inflow (0.8 t/y) resulted by seasonal proliferation and degradation of submerged vegetation which utilize Phosphorus stored in bottom sediments. This positve balance exist in spite of particulate Phosphorus sedimentation and water P-mediated infiltration, whilst the opposite for TN: the lake effluent contain less TN (27.3 t/y) than the inflow (38.1 t/y). The reason for that is probably Nitrogen removal through de-nitrification, particulate Nitrogen sedimentation and infiltration. Consequently, Hypsometric Dispersion, of nutrients from surface and downward through the Ground Water Table and below is justified. Emphasizing an indication of north-south hydrological gradient and respective migration of nutrients from north to south in the Hul Valley.

The water mass flows in the Hula Valley include surface water or runoff as aerial flood dispersed and folded within the canal system and as underground gathered in preferential pathways (tunnels, or free space). Surface water in the Hula Valley is all directed from north to south as the slope trait of the Graben. Nevertheless, Artesian water migration in the Hula Valley was concluded and even defined as the major underground water migration in the valley. Nevertheless, Artesian water migration was considerable in the northern and was not indicated in the southern valley region [13] . The indication of hydraulic gradient oriented North-South [11] is in agreement with earlier studies. The assumption of up-lifted Artesian water in the Hula Valley was denied. Earlier studies about nutrient dynamics in the Hula Valley during post drainage period included surface water. The present paper is an attempt at evaluation of the nutrient dispersion in the Hula Valley within three Hypsometrical levels: surface water, underground level (Ground Water Table) and within the Lignite waters (5 - 150 m below surface) [14] . The capacities of Nitrogen and Phosphorus within the total volume (0 - 150 m) of the Hula-Peat-Soil-include shallow layers, runoff and GWT (6 m depth) where mass exchange occur periodically whilst significant portion of those nutrients are deeply buried forming Lignite. Significant part of Nitrogen, mostly as Nitrate and minor part of Phosphorus are exported. Lignite is a matter that was formed from Peat substance that exists commonly at the bottom of shallow productive swampy wetlands such as was in the Hula Valley during the Pre-drainage period (<1957). The Hula wetlands were densely plant-covered. Very high biomass of common emerged (among others: Cyperus spp., Phragmites spp., Typha spp.) and submerged plants (among others: Potamogeton spp., Nymphaea alba, Najas spp., Myriophyllum sp.). The regional climate is tropical with annual mean daily air temperatures ranging between 18 - 22˚C. Organic matter that was intensively deposited and accumulated as Peat form on the Hula wetlands-swampy bottom, was degraded and decomposed through coalification stages of sub-bituminous, bituminous and finally produced brown coal or lignite. Geological investigations in the Hula Valley were previously carried out and guidelines features were: Picard [1] [2] defined the two interfingered facies of Gadot lacustrine and Hatzor alluvial in the southern part of the valley; the creation of Lake Hula before 30,000 years was suggested by Cowgill [5] [15] . The regional dimensions and spatial distribution of the lignite in the underground of the Hula Valley were previously studied [6] - [8] [14] - [19] . The geological history of the Hula Basin formation was documented by Horowitz [3] [4] and the impact of climatic conditions on the lake-water depth was published by Ehrlich [16] . The hydrological consequences were documented [20] . A comprehensive survey of the underground volume and location of Lignite in the Hula Valley was documented [6] - [8] .

Although many earlier studies were carried out about soil features, nutrient geochemistry, spatial distribution of soil types as well as hydrological management and soil moisture conditions in the Hula Valley were not comprehensively accomplished. This paper is an attempt at spatial and Hypsometrical evaluation of nutrient migration within the Peat Soil Hula Land. The disadvantage of the presently available information is the lack of deep layer information. Partial cover pf this data deficiency is covered by two data sources that were documented in the Peat-Soil-Hula-Land: 1) An annual (2010) survey of the groundwater composition; 2) The Lignite and its water content composition survey that was carried out during the 1970’s. The monitor program of quantitative and qualitative qualities of surface waters was long term routinely recorded. This paper is a tentative attempt at integration between those three documentations. All along the studies and surveys carried out in the Hula Valley an enigmatic issue accompanied their consequent conclusions: what is the fate off micro and macro-nutrient migrated from the Hula Valley: partial answers were evaluated from their role within the balances of inputs and cycling in Lake Kinneret. Nevertheless, the fate of partial portion of commonly distributed macro elemental nutrients within the upper layers of the Hula Valley soil cross section such as Phosphorus is not clearly known. The ecological nutrient fate hypothesis is that most of the Phosphorus is migrated downward to an unknown end-lock whilst major portion of the Nitrogen is involved within biogenic cycles in the Peat-Soil-Hula-Land and the limnological ecosystem of Lake Kinneret. This paper, include a summary of the available data and interpretation of the fate of nutrients migration with respect to hypsometrical distribution.

Stratigraphic analyses in boreholes carried out in 1951, in the Hula Valley swamp [9] have indicated a 6-meter thickness of the upper Lignite layer and underneath 40 m thick layer comprised of silt-Calcareous, and deeper below 50 m thick Peat layer. Southern to the swampy-peat soil layer the soil is mineral [9] . Until 1957 the swampy water and the vegetation cover protected the sedimentation basin of the Lignite layer from atmospheric oxidation. In 1957 the Hula valley was drained and the Hula valley land was converted from swampy wetlands and old shallow lakes into agricultural development. The runoff waters and 0 - 5 deep underground waters were routinely monitored within the frame of the Hula Project proposal [10] [11] . As a result of the drainage, the upper Peaty-Lignite layer was exposed to oxidation which enhanced the chemical conversion of organic Nitrogen to Nitrate. During the seventies, a pre-visibility research project was carried out aimed at the tentative indication of energy production from Lignite resources in the Hula Valley [6] - [8] . Within the scope of this project, the pore water in the Lignite layers was analyzed [12] . The upper 150 m part of the Hula Valley filling sedimented matter includes layers of Clay-Marl, Peat-Lignite, Humic-Clay, and mixed Send-Pebbles [6] - [8] [13] . The analyzed stratigraphic section of sedimentation of the upper Peat layer included 0 - 10 m below the surface that was initiated about 2500 years ago [5] . Underneath this layer between 30 - 100 m below the surface, covering a major part of the valley, [3] [4] [14] - [16] is aged 35,000 years and lower there are more Lignite strata at 100 - 292 m below surface [5] [6] . The bottom of the sedimented matter bordered by Miocenic-calcareous rock is below 2781 m but was not precisely defined [13] . A comprehensive description of the upper (shallower) different soil types in the Hula Valley during the Post Drainage Era was widely documented (among others) [13] [17] - [27] . Three hypsometrical levels of water mass in the Hula Valley are considered: A) Upper-surface-runoff water; B) Medium-Underground, between surface and 6 meters deep; C) Deep-Lignite water, limited between 5 - 150 m deep. The objective of this study is to open wider historical and hypsometrical ranges of knowledge of nutrient resources in the catchment aimed at improvement of ecosystem management to protect Kinneret water quality.

The creation of the deposited bulk of high moisture Lignite initiated 60,000 years B.P. [7] [8] . The topographic areal slope of 0.5% [9] was permanently shallow and covered by swamps. The impact of those conditions induced a very low flow velocity which enabled the development of dense vegetation. Young renovation of plant matter replaced the older vegetation which was sedimented and decomposed under reductive conditions to become a Lignite [9] . A cross-section illustration through the Lignite bulk (length—7 km, width—1 - 3 km) indicates alternates of Lignite strata and lacustrine clays and marl thin layers and a few inter-deposited sandy varved sediments along the eastern side of the Lignite bulk [6] [7] . The main lignite complex which is interrupted by clay bed intercalations appears over most of the basin at depth intervals of 30 - 100 m ( Figures 10-11 ) [6] - [9] . In the eastern part of the valley an additional lower lignite complex was indicated at a depth intervals varied between 100 and 160 m. However, along the same sequence in the western valley region, just a few meters of lignite bed layer thickness was indicated [6] [7] .

The cross-section profile of the Hula Valley soil comprised of two “Lignite” layers: the upper one from surface to 5 - 7 m depth which is presently (after drainage, later than 1957) defined as “Peat Soil” and is not chemically pure Lignite matter, exposed to wetting-de-wetting moisture alternates regime and utilize as

downward migration into a very deep either limited or unlimited stock. Vast documentation as the outcome of a very long history of soil property investigation in the Hula Valley supported information about soil properties and agricultural management, fertilization included, and the results are closely ranged, for instance, carbonates content as—4.6 - 9.4% and 83.3% in Peat and marl respectively or 43% and 5% organic matter content in Peat and Marl soil respectively.

A conclusion is presented in other studies consider nutrient migration in the subterranean space as a potential factor of deterioration of surface waters. The present paper is attributed to a different approach which tentatively suggests that nutrient from the soil of the Hula Valley migrates mostly downward and to a lesser extent horizontally. The trend of downward cumulative nutrient migration is recognizable ( Table 10 ).

Nutrient migrations in the Hula Valley were studied at three hypsometrical depths: Runoff, Underground waters and Lignite waters. Nutrient concentrations in Runoffs were modified after the Hula drainage and later anthropogenic management, Nitrogen as Nitrate was enhanced and Phosphorus was diminished. Changes within the Underground level are affected by hydrological North-South gradient and agricultural fertilization. During the long History of the Hula Valley existence, Lignite matter was formed and buried under recent sediments presently located at about 50 meters. Reductive forms of Phosphorus, Nitrogen and carbonates are accumulated in the Lignite matter. Minor part of the Peat-Soil originated Phosphorus is migrated through the Hula outflows into River Jordan and forwarded into Lake Kinneret. Significant portion of this Phosphorus is migrating Hypsometrically downward whilst the end-lock is unclear. Most of the water mediated Phosphorus that is migrated into Lake Kinneret originates from parts of the Kinneret drainage basin outside the Hula Valley. On the other hand significant portion of the Peat-Soil originated Nitrates migrate through the Jordan discharge into Lake Kinneret. Pre-caution alert of the Kinneret water quality deterioration followed the Hula drainage and further agricultural development was denied. Future recommendations include enhancing Peat-Soil wettability supported by summer extra irrigation water allocation legislated by the “Peat Convention”, which is a contracted agreement between the farmer organization and the National Water authority. Among nitrogen and phosphorus supply from the catchment, the mostly affected water quality was found to be nitrogen. Since early 1990’s nitrogen supply has significantly declined. It was one of the reasons for Kinneret water quality deterioration through replacement of the bloom forming Dinoflagellates Peridinium spp. dominance by Cyanobacteria. The status of the lake ecosystem shifted from sufficiency to insufficient nitrogen. Consequently, enhancement of nitrogen input is critical.

M.G. and V.L-O cooperatively implemented data analysis, and conceptual evaluation; V.O. carried out the field measurements of GWT and surface mapping of the underground water migration; M.G. directed water chemistry; presentation design, computerization, and the preparation of the original draft and final version were carried out cooperatively. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Not applicable as the study does not involve humans or animals.

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Sincere appreciation is given to T. Natanson, and E. Yasur for field sampling assistance.