Yarqon River

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The Yarqon River

The river in the western part of The Yarqon Park, and the Reading Power Station in the background

The Yarqon River or Yarkon River (Hebrew: נחל הירקון) is a river in Israel that originates in north Petah Tikva and flows into the Mediterranean Sea. It is the largest coastal river in Israel, at 27.5 km in length. It runs through seven cities, including Tel Aviv where it is surrounded by The Yarqon Park. The Reading Power Station, constructed near its mouth in the 1950s, is often blamed for contributing to the pollution of the river.

On July 16, 1997, four members of the Australian delegation to the Maccabia Games were killed as a result of the collapsing of a temporary pedestrian bridge into the Yarqon. Over 100 other athletes were on the bridge at the time of the collapse, but survived.

The Yarqon was also found to contain excessive amounts of toxins, and therefore Israelis were banned from bathing or fishing in it on multiple occasions. The river is administered by the Yarqon River Authority.