East Maui Irrigation Water Lease and DHHL Water Reservation
Posted on Dec 13, 2018 in Department of Hawaiian Home LandsBENEFICIARY CONSULTATION
updated February 1, 2019
Alexander and Baldwin (A&B), East Maui Irrigation (EMI) Company and Mahi Pono are seeking a new sixty-five year lease of water from the East Maui Irrigation System from the state Department of Land Natural Resources (DLNR). Under state law (HRS § 171-58(g), the DLNR and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) are required to jointly develop a “reservation” of water as part of the leasing process. A water reservation is a state set-aside of water for current and foreseeable development and use, in this case by the DHHL.
As part of this proposed water leasing process, DHHL intends to request a water reservation from the Commission on Water Resources Management (CWRM). The reserved water would serve potable and non-potable uses for development on DHHL-owned lands at Kēōkea, Waiohuli, and Pūlehunui on the island of Maui. Specifically, DHHL intends to request use of surface water diverted by the EMI system for existing and future development on these lands.
A DHHL beneficiary consultation meeting was conducted with representatives of A&B, EMI, Mahi Pono and DLNR on January 14, 2019 to discuss the water lease and the DHHL’s water reservation for its lands in Kēōkea, Waiohuli, and Pūlehunui.
DHHL will be accepting comments regarding the proposed water reservation request until March 4, 2019 and asks Maui island beneficiaries to include mana‘o regarding the following issues:
- Should DHHL’s reservation request include only non-potable uses?
- Where should this water come from to meet those water needs?
- Are there any water needs that DHHL did not account for? What are they?
| 1 | Proposed Action or Issue for Discussion | DHHL intends to request a water reservation from the CWRM as part of a proposed water leasing process being pursued by A&B, EMI and Mahi Pono. The reserved water would serve potable and non-potable uses for development on DHHL-owned lands at Kēōkea, Waiohuli, and Pūlehunui on the island of Maui |
| 2 | Notification | Beneficiary Consultation Meeting Invitation Letter mailed to Maui Island Lessees and Applicants on December 10, 2018. |
| 3 | Meeting Schedule |
|
| 4 | Presentation Materials | Beneficiary Consultation on EMI’s Water Lease and DHHL’s Water Reservation (01-14-19) |
| 5 | Beneficiary Comments Due to DHHL: | March 4, 2019 |
| 6 | Beneficiary Consultation Report: | TBD |
| 7 | Hawaiian Homes Commission Vote | TBD |
If you have any questions, please contact Halealoha Ayau in DHHL’s Planning Office at (808) 933-3272 or via email at [email protected]