The Dead Sea is fed by a number of rivers and streams; the biggest one being the Jordan River coming from the north (map). Because the Dead Sea Basin can get very hot (especially in the summer), a significant amount of water is lost every year through evaporation. This evaporation is usually balanced by inflows of water from rivers, streams and the occasional rain storm. However, since ~1960, water has been diverted from the Jordan River to irrigate a number of farms. A consequence of this is the inflow of the Jordan River has lessened. In addition, the salt works (The Dead Sea Works in Israel and The Arab Potash Company in Jordan) withdraw Dead Sea water at the southern end of the Dead Sea. This has led to water loss from evaporation and withdrawls in the south exceeding water gain through rivers and streams and storms and this has caused the Dead Sea water level to drop.