Hawaii First Water

Archives for August 2016

He Lono Moku

August: This week the IUCN World Conservation Congress will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii to further the cause of world environmental concerns.  A Hawaii based Environmental Funders Group published what will become an annual report on the state of Hawaii’s environment.   I will be attending the Congress and reporting on any interesting findings which are particularly focused on fresh water issues on Hawai’i and other Pacific Islands.  (By Larry Kobayashi)

Here is the preface and the link to actual report.

The State of the Environment: HAWAI‘I 2016

With the IUCN World Conservation Congress being held in the United States for the first time, Hawai‘i’s environment and sustainability efforts are on the world stage. He lono moku recognizes this global momentum and highlights priorities for environmental equilibrium in Hawai‘i. This state of the environment report shares our advances in freshwater security, renewable energy, and community-based marine management—and is candid about where our efforts are falling well short.

Each year, he lono moku will track and share progress across a variety of environmental topics. At the center of the world’s largest ocean and with a tourism economy directly linked to our environment, we cannot afford to overlook our precious natural resources. As the voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a returns home after circumnavigating island earth, the Hawai‘i Environmental Funders Group joins the global call to embrace a “mālama honua”—care for the earth—mindset to ensure that our Islands thrive for generations to come.

Progress must be real—we cannot fool Mother Nature. The traditional Hawaiian proverb rings even more true today than centuries ago when first uttered: “He ali‘i ka ‘āina, he kauwā ke kanaka.” The land is a chief, man is its servant.

 

And here is the link to their report…

Kohala Ditch: A (Big Island) lifeline to North Kohala agriculture in the past, present and future

August 2016:

By Liz Nakayama, Special to West Hawaii Today.

For tourists, floating down the Kohala Ditch is a unique Hawaiian eco-tourism experience. But for locals, it has a rich history that connects the past and the present and provides hope for a sustainable future in Kohala. Efforts are now underway to ensure a long-term future operator for the ditch.

When the first North Kohala sugar plantation was founded in1864, there was a struggle to find enough water to grow the thirsty sugarcane. Inconsistent rain and withering trade winds often threatened the very existence of the six plantations operating in Kohala at the turn of the 20th century.

Hawi Plantation was particularly susceptible. Its owner, John Hind, spent years seeking a solution to the problem, finally finding an answer in the inaccessible canyons of Kohala Mountain. In 1904, Hind and his partners, J.T. McCrossan and Parker Ranch owner Sam Parker, incorporated the Kohala Ditch Company and hired the best engineers and surveyors of the day, along with hundreds of skilled laborers from Japan, to build the Kohala Ditch system.

Beginning in January 1905 with a starting budget of $600,000, multiple crews worked 24-hour days for 18 months to build it. Crews hand drilled through solid rock, blasted with dynamite and carved trails sometimes more than a thousand feet up the cliffs in Kohala, while fighting harsh terrain, bone-numbing chill, heavy rain, flooding, landslides and utter isolation in the remote wilderness. Seventeen men lost their lives in the effort.

Completed in June 1906, the system eventually expanded to 16 miles of tunnels, six miles of open ditches and 29 flumes. The irrigation doubled sugarcane production, increasing demand for employees, many who came from all over the world. Some families still on the island are descendants of those who originally came to Kohala to take part in the success brought by the ditch.

Although the last sugar plantation closed in 1975, the Kohala Ditch still supplies vital agricultural water to several dozen users in North Kohala, including a variety of farms, orchards, ranches, one of the largest dairies remaining in the state and even a small hydro-electric facility that sells renewable power to HELCO.

See the rest of the article here…

Paddling championship goes forward at Keehi Lagoon, despite water quality concerns

August 2016, KEEHI LAGOON, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) –

(Editor Kobayashi Comment:  Stormwater pollution continues to be a problem on the islands which will not go away.  Fortunately the control of stormwater resources will continue to offer solutions to future freshwater scarcity problems on the islands.  If stormwater can be slowed and saved, both pollution and freshwater supply scarcity problems can be reduced.)

The Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association’s state championships are going forward this weekend at Keehi Lagoon, but at least five canoe clubs have decided not to participate because of ongoing water quality concerns.

Flooding from Tropical Storm Darby sent large debris and trash into Keehi Lagoon, putting an upcoming outrigger canoe championship in limbo.

Participants, meanwhile, are being told to stay in their canoe on race day and out of the water.

A Brown Water Advisory for Keehi Lagoon has been lifted, but health officials say bacteria levels in the lagoon remain high.

Despite the problems, association officials are trying to remain upbeat.

“The flags are up. People are out here practicing. The tents the food booths everything is getting set,” said Water Vierra, president of the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association.

He added, “We’re encouraging all clubs to forgo the use of boat holders. They have the most exposure to the water.”

The problems at the lagoon started with Tropical Storm Darby, which sent debris and dirty run-off into the waterway popular among paddlers.

While much of the big debris has been cleared from the lagoon, bacteria levels at Keehi Lagoon are still high.

As of Friday afternoon, five Oahu canoe clubs have pulled out the race. They are: Outrigger Canoe Club, Hui Nalu O Hawaii Canoe Club, Lanikai Canoe Club, Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i Canoe Club and Manu O Ke Kai Canoe Club.

Still, Vierra said, some 3,000 paddlers are expected to come out for the competition. Typically, about 3,500 participate.

Paddlers practicing Friday used duct tape to cover open cuts on their arms and legs. And everyone was wearing slippers in and out of the water.

See the rest of the article here…