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Kaha/ADC brief commission on storage shortfalls and infrastructure needs for COA irrigation system
Summary
Kaha Agricultural Association and ADC briefed the commission on the COA ditch system’s depleted storage (current functional reservoirs ~15–16 million gallons vs. historical upper-reservoir capacity), priority repairs (Puʻula outlet gate), pressurized piping, and funding requests after the KIC energy project stalled.
Representatives of the Kaha Agricultural Association and Alexander & Baldwin/ADC told the Water Resource Management Commission that repairs and modernization are needed to restore storage and reliable irrigation for agricultural and homestead uses on the COA system. The briefing was informational; no formal commission action was requested.
KA/ADC presenters described the system’s current operational limits: lower reservoirs and day‑use storage total roughly 15–16 million gallons of usable capacity today, a large decline from historical upper‑reservoir capacity that previously exceeded tens of millions of gallons. The group said that the failure of the previously proposed KIC energy/water project removed an anticipated source of storage and system repairs and that several outlet gates and control mechanisms remain in need of major work. “If Pulua’s outlet gate were restored … what 50–60 million gallons that could probably be stored there,” a KA representative said in the briefing, noting several incremental repair options.
Presenters reviewed projects under way or proposed: replacement of old hydro equipment with a new small repowered turbine (estimated roughly 200–250 kW design capacity), installation of pressurized HDPE distribution piping to improve on‑demand delivery and efficiency, and repair of critical reservoir gates. The group reported approximately $238,000 spent from a recent $775,000 settlement tied to KIC’s exit; those funds were applied to immediate repairs while legislative requests were being prepared for larger capital needs.
Stakeholders and environmental advocates pressed for compliance with the Watershed/Waʻia agreement (WWA) requirements for continuous monitoring, wetted passage for native species and limits on repurposed hydro flows. Elena Bryant (Earthjustice), representing Poʻoi Viola and the West Kauaʻi Watershed Alliance, told the commission that monitoring gaps remain on parts of the COA ditch and that boards and dams remain in place at several diversion points, contrary to the agreement’s restoration expectations.
Outlook: KA/ADC asked the commission to note the system’s fragility in drought periods, emphasized the priority of repairing the Puʻula outlet gate and urged legislative or other funding support. Because this item was informational, the commission did not vote on policy changes; staff said it will continue to work with parties to identify funding pathways and technical steps to restore storage and monitoring.
