Afforestation provides suitable spots for outdoor recreation to growing population. The locally developed infiltration basins known as limans and terraces are used as soil and water conservation (SWC) structures in combination with afforestation for mitigation of desertification. This combination improves the soil structure and hence enhances the water use efficiency. Jewish National Fund (JNF) took an initiative to combat desertification, thereby creating desert rehabilitation works. Current research was conducted at Negev desert in Israel with an objective to study dynamics of soil and water properties under rehabilitation through forests in combination with limans and terraces. The study basically compared the impact of these SWC structures on soil physical proprieties and water use efficiency. Soil samples were collected from nine plots and carefully analyzed. Soil properties including texture, organic matter, bulk density, aggregate size distribution, and hydraulic conductivity were improved significantly with increase in the ages of SWC structures. The oldest liman plots showed higher water use efficiency (hydraulic conductivity: new plots 1.3 cm h-1 and old plots 5.9 cm h-1). Further studies are needed on run-off and evapo-transpiration in this study area