REPORT TITLE:
Wailupe Stream Flood Control


DESCRIPTION:
Authorizes the issuance of $3,988,000, in general obligation
bonds for the implementation of the Wailupe stream flood control
project.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                             2294
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                     
STATE OF HAWAII                                                 
                                                             
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                     A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO WAILUPE STREAM.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the New Year's flood
 
 2 of 1988 caused many millions of dollars in damage to residential
 
 3 dwellings, motor vehicles, and public infrastructure in east
 
 4 Honolulu, severed the main roadway--Kalanianaole highway--to and
 
 5 from the area, and traumatized friends and relatives.  It was
 
 6 only through good luck and the rapid response of county civil
 
 7 defense and emergency services personnel that no lives were lost
 
 8 to the freak weather event and the confluence of other factors
 
 9 that caused this flood to occur.
 
10      Despite the public improvements made by the county to
 
11 prevent a repeat of the New Year's Eve flood of 1988, no
 
12 permanent steps have been taken to improve the drainage of
 
13 Wailupe stream in Aina Haina, east Honolulu, in order to protect
 
14 the more than nine hundred homes that lie in the stream's flood
 
15 plain.  Because of inadequate flow rate and debris separation-
 
16 -factors aggravated by intensive urbanization in Aina Haina
 
17 Valley and on Hawaii Loa Ridge, Wailupe stream cannot handle the
 
18 large volume of runoff that would accompany another freak weather
 
19 event.
 

 
Page 2                                                     2294
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      Through the natural course of siltation and debris
 
 2 accumulation, the capacity of Wailupe stream will decrease until
 
 3 the next great flood flushes it clean.  The natural flushing of
 
 4 Wailupe stream would, however, expose the bridge at Kalanianaole
 
 5 Highway, which was not built to one hundred year flood capacity,
 
 6 to structural damage from floating and submerged debris.  The
 
 7 loss of this bridge would practically isolate east Honolulu from
 
 8 the rest of Oahu since the highway through Waimanalo is also
 
 9 subject to flooding during severe storms.  In addition, the
 
10 natural erosion of Wailupe stream is degrading the water quality
 
11 of Maunalua Bay and damaging nearshore reef formations, which
 
12 were damaged by decades of urban runoff, as well as abutting lots
 
13 along its embankments.
 
14      Consequently, the purpose of this Act is to authorize the
 
15 issuance of $3,988,000, in general obligation bonds for the
 
16 implementation of the Wailupe stream flood control project.
 
17      SECTION 2.  The director of finance is authorized to issue
 
18 general obligation bonds in the sum of $3,988,000, or so much
 
19 thereof as may be necessary, and the same sum, or so much thereof
 
20 as may be necessary, is appropriated for fiscal year 2000-2001,
 
21 for the Wailupe stream flood control project, to be expended as
 
22 follows:
 
23           Plans                         $1,000,000
 

 
Page 3                                                     2294
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           Design                        $1,500,000
 
 2           Construction                  $1,488,000
 
 3                TOTAL                    $3,988,000
 
 4      SECTION 3.  The appropriation made for the capital
 
 5 improvement project authorized in this Act shall not lapse at the
 
 6 end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made;
 
 7 provided that all moneys from the appropriation unencumbered as
 
 8 of June 30, 2003, shall lapse as of that date.
 
 9      SECTION 4.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
10 department of land and natural resources for the purpose of this
 
11 Act; provided that the chairperson of the board of land and
 
12 natural resources:
 
13      (1)  Shall utilize county and federal funds for the Wailupe
 
14           stream flood control project if these funds are
 
15           available; and
 
16      (2)  May allow the department of land and natural resources
 
17           to assume the title of "local sponsor", should the need
 
18           arise, to qualify for federal funds and appropriations.
 
19      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.
 
20 
 
21                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________