The towns of Kekaha and Waimea on the island of Kauai have experienced major flooding in recent years due to the lack of any flood control infrastructure. With the decline of large-scale agriculture, water is no longer diverted to irrigation systems and away from the towns. The January 2005 rainstorm that flooded the town of Kekaha caused the standing pools of storm water to become a large sewage spill as the septic and cesspool systems (there is no sewer service in this rural area) became inundated and fell below the water level. The health and safety of the residents from the sewage/storm water, as well as the flooding that cuts off all access including emergency vehicle access, are of significant concern. Additionally, the sediment and pollution runoff from these flood events continue to cause major degradation of native stream and nearshore marine ecosystems that are vital to the Island’s economy and way of life, not to mention considerable shoaling in the stream. Continued flooding occurred in February 2008, further highlighting the need for flood mitigation.
Flooding, stream habitat degradation, and coral reef impacts are just some of the water resource problems in the Kekaha-Waimea watershed. The area is characterized by fallow lands left by the former sugarcane agriculture and development primarily along the shoreline. Current degraded conditions seem to result in high erosion rates, decline in native aquatic resources, flooding in the low lying areas, and damages to coral reefs. Numerous uncoordinated attempts have been made by the State and County and even community to address these problems individually. A comprehensive evaluation and a coordinated approach to solving these problems are required to ensure long-term sustainable results.
The community desires solutions to water resource problems, which primarily include flooding and ecosystem degradation. The County of Kauai is prepared to be the sponsoring agency and seeks a comprehensive Watershed Plan to help guide them and other agencies in prioritizing their efforts in addressing water resource problems and improving the overall health of the watershed.
The authorization amount requested is $30,000,000, cost-shared between the U.S. Army Corps and the County of Kauai.
