Commission adopts revised Agricultural Water Use and Development Plan with conditions; DOA will collaborate on editorial updates

At its March 18 meeting the Commission on Water Resource Management adopted the Department of Agriculture’s revised Agricultural Water Use and Development Plan (2019 plan, revised 2021) for incorporation into the Hawaii Water Plan, approving the plan subject to a package of staff conditions intended to improve clarity, usability and connection to other water planning materials.

What staff recommended and what commissioners approved - Staff recommended adoption but identified several gaps and recommended eight conditions to make the plan more useful to planners and decision‑makers. Key staff recommendations included: adding hyperlinks and an accessible table of contents; cross‑referencing the original 2004 plan for continuity; updating capital improvement project (CIP) cost estimates (2018 dollars in the plan) to reflect current costs; committing the Department of Agriculture to participate in the Agribusiness Development Corporation’s (ADC) strategic planning so ADC CIP plans can inform future updates; adding cautionary language that the plan’s water demand tables may not apply everywhere and recommending use of the IWREDS model as an alternative or supplemental tool; and linking the 2020 State Water Projects Plan and directing more timely…