Report Title:

Molokai Irrigation System; Evaluation (SD1)

THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

43

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING AN ASSESSMENT OF AND IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MOLOKAI IRRIGATION SYSTEM.

 

WHEREAS, Molokai's water shortage has reached a critical stage and the stability of Molokai's agriculture industry is in jeopardy; and

WHEREAS, unless action is taken immediately, Molokai's farmers will not have the water needed to maintain their farming operations; and

WHEREAS, the Molokai Irrigation System (MIS) was designed to serve up to 17,640 acres of farm land in Molokai's arid Ho'olehua plain, most of which is owned by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and to have a capacity of 21 million gallons of water per day; and

WHEREAS, the expansion of the MIS into Pelekunu and Wailau Valleys to provide the aforementioned capacity have not occurred, and are not likely to be developed for environmental and other considerations; and

WHEREAS, two-thirds of the water developed by the MIS has preference in favor of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and/or their lessees; and

WHEREAS, the growth in demand for water from the system has occurred such that over one-half of the water is used by non-preference users; and

WHEREAS, while the non-preference users have a junior claim to water from the system and would be dramatically affected by rationing of system capacity, they provide a significant percentage of farm related employment and economic input to the island; and

WHEREAS, expansion of the MIS to agriculture lots in Kalamaula has been in discussion for years; and

WHEREAS, concerted, comprehensive, and cooperative efforts must be initiated to assess the practical limits of expanding the available supply of water to the MIS system together with appropriate limits to expansion of the MIS customer base, with due consideration to the preference of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and its lessees; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Agribusiness Development Corporation, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands are requested to work jointly with the Molokai community to identify the expansion potential of the Molokai Irrigation System by adding new water sources and the appropriate size of the customer base that can be reliably supported by an expanded system with due concern for the preferential rights of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and its lessees, and to develop a plan for improvements to the Molokai Irrigation System for the long-term; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that long-term assessments and improvement recommendations for the Molokai Irrigation System shall address the expansion of the Molokai Irrigation System to agricultural lots belonging to Kalamaula homestead farmers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Agribusiness Development Corporation with the assistance of the Department of Agriculture and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands shall prepare and submit the plan, their recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the legislature not less than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2002; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of the Agribusiness Development Corporation, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, and Chairperson of Hawaiian Home Commission.