Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 10, 1 October 1993 — Molokaʻi Working Group opts for agriculture [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Molokaʻi Working Group opts for agriculture

by Patrick Johnston The results are in and the winner is agriculture. The loser, 18 holes and a mai tai sunset. In a dispute that pitted Hawai'i's agrarian past against the tide of tourism, the Moloka'i Working Group, a 13-member organization representing various Moloka'i interests, recommended preserving Moloka'i's largely rural character over increased resort and golf course development in a report they submitted to the Commission on Water Resource Management and the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The report was completed in July and has received comment from the public since that time. It is not a binding document, but members hope to incorporate its recommendations into the upcoming redrafting of the eounty water use and development plan. If this plan is accepted by the county eouneil, it will be difficult for the water commission to reject it. "It still needs to go through a review process but the commission has already begun to use some of the recommendations," says Moloka'i Working Group state representative and DNLR Water Resources Planning Section head Eric Hirano. The Moloka'i Working Group was established in October 1992 to examine present and projected \vater needs on that island anei make a recommendation to the

Water Commission. Some of the major players in the discussions included the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Moloka'i Ranch (the largest land owner on the island), and Alpha U.S.A., a Japanese-owned resort developer. In addition to recommendations for conservative water use and long-term planning, the group askecl that all water management and planning plaee a priority on keeping agriculture at the "cultural heart" of Moloka'i and that DHHL's "demonstrable" needs be reserved first. It also recommended that golf be given the Iowest priority. "Working group members felt that agricultural development should be at the heart of development in Moloka'i," explains continued on page 15

Moloka'i water pipes

Moloka'i Workinq Group report

continued from page 4 Hirano, "but there still are some unanswered questions. These include making sure there are water sources available for the anticipated demand. There is also eoneem about O'ahu converting its sugar land into other types of agriculture. This could affect the demand for Moloka'i based agriculture." Recommendations made by the group are for the period ending 2010. They noted projections after that period would be difficult and likely inaccurate. The report concluded that Moloka'i has enough ground and surface water to meet present and future needs up to 2010, but, after that time, demand will likely exceed supply. Daily water use is now about 8 million gallons. It is estimated that water demand could eventually reach 42.9 million gallons a day (mgd), three million gallons above what is conservatively estimated to be the maximum developable yield for the island. To eope with that problem, the group suggested increased eonservation and studies on existing water supplies, including a look at capturing overflows from intermittent streams to recharge aquifers and decrease siltation of reefs. The group also recommended

that further development not take plaee in the northeast sector of the island-including Pelekunu valley-unless it ean be demonstrated that this will not have an impact on the natural ecosystems of the area. The report stressed the water rights of Hawaiian home lands as they are laid out in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and the state water code. It also stresses the water rights of Hawaiians not living on home lands. In their recommendations, DHHL should receive 5.42 million gallons a day for use on Hawaiian home lands for the next five to ten years. The department presently uses .38 mgd for

domestic needs and more than 3 mgd for irrigation. The report projects that DHHL will eventually need over 23.5 mgd if all its land is developed in the future. The source of this water has yet to be identified. A decision will be made on the report by the Water Commission some time next year and eommunity input is encouraged. Anyone wishing to comment on the report should write to: Commission on Water Resource Management Department of Land and Natural Resource Management, P.O. Box 621 Honolulu, HI 96809, Atm.: Eric Hirano