Anahola Watershed Area Flood Control, Kauai ($200,000)
The requested funding would be used to intiate federally funded investigations to determine whether a federal interest exists for a cost-shared feasibility study to implement flood control improvements to the Anahola Watershed Area on the island of Kauai.
Major flooding in the Anahola area on the island of Kauai has highlighted the lack of any flood control infrastructure and the need for flood mitigation. Due to the lack of a functioning agricultural irrigation system, water that would have otherwise been diverted into the irrigation system now is seen as increased storm water runoff. Additionally, the sediment and pollution runoff from these flood events continue to cause major degradation of Anahola Stream and nearshore marine ecosystems that are vital to the island’s economy and way of life. The sponsor, County of Kauai, requests the identification of tasks for a watershed plan that will assist in the alleviation of flooding, sediment, and pollutant- runoff problems and quantify impacts to native aquatic and marine resources. The existing drainage system in the area mainly consists of open ditches and a few culverts, which are remnants of the former sugarcane irrigation infrastructure. The largest flood recorded in the Anahola area occurred on January 1956 when more than 13 inches of rain fell in the watershed within a 24-hour period. On December 14, 1991, over 20 inches of rain fell in parts of Kauai during a 12-hour period, resulting in flash floods that resulted in five deaths, severe flooding, erosions and slides, as well as extensive property damage.
Continued flooding occurred in February 2008, further highlighting the need for flood mitigation.
The sponsor, the County of Kauai, fully endorses and supports a multipurpose watershed project in the Anahola watershed.
Recipient: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Honolulu District, Building 230
Fort Shafter, Hawaii 96858-5440
Why this is a good use of taxpayer dollars: The lack of any flood control infrastructure in the area results in sediment and pollution in Anahola Stream and nearshore marine ecosytems that are vital to the island's economy and way of life.
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