Commission publishes public notice for 76 Lahaina water‑use applications; objections due May 7

Commission staff announced public notice has been published for 76 Lahaina water‑use permit applications in which applicants asserted traditional, customary or pertinent rights. The first notice ran April 16; staff said a second required notice will publish the following week and objections must be filed within 10 days of that second notice. The deadline staff gave for objections is May 7, 2026.

Staff clarified next steps: if no objections are filed, staff will proceed with technical review, including on‑site verification of return flows where necessary. Some applications will require additional analysis to determine whether the requested diversions can be accommodated within existing interim instream flow standards (IFS) or if an IFS amendment is needed. If objections are filed, the commission may route contested issues to a hearing officer or schedule a contested proceeding under the administrative rules.

Commission Secretary Suzanne Korea Ramos told the meeting the full list and timeline are posted on the Lahaina Water Management Area landing page on the commission website. "After the second public notice runs there will be 10 days to file objections," she said. Staff emphasized that for some applicants staff must verify whether return flows are provided (for example, by ditch return rather than pump use) before making final recommendations.

The announcement is procedural: it begins the statutory public‑notice and objection window for a large batch of Lahaina applications. Staff said the second tranche (largely groundwater applications) will follow later and may require longer review.