Posted on: Saturday, March 31, 2001

Prolonged drought has Moloka'i farmers worried

By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor

Moloka'i farmers are becoming increasingly desperate as water for irrigation dwindles from a years-long drought.

Rainfall on Moloka'i, like much of the state, has been well below normal. In February, the rainfall total for Kaunakakai was 3 percent of the normal amount, and March hasn't been much better, according to the National Weather Service.

"It's become a part of normal, everyday conversation. People are uncertain about their livelihood," said Adolph Helm, project manager for Dow Agriscience's Mycogen seed corn operation and a Hawaiian homestead farmer.

The state Department of Agriculture's Moloka'i Irrigation System, serving 220 farmers, is fed by water from Waikolu Stream that is pumped into the Kualapu'u Reservoir. "The system has been experiencing very low rainfall the past six years, and basically the stream is just about dried up," said Paul T. Matsuo of the state Agriculture Resource Management Division.

The reservoir level yesterday was less than 5 feet. "Normally we like to head into the summer months with the level at 20 feet," Matsuo said.

When surface water is unavailable, the state taps into pockets of water trapped by geologic formations underground. The electricity for the additional pumping is not cheap.

Maui County Mayor James "Kimo" Apana has requested that Gov. Ben Cayetano issue an emergency drought declaration for the island.

The governor has requested an emergency appropriation of $200,000, and Sen. Jan Buen, D-4th, West and North Maui, Lana'i and Moloka'i, introduced a bill seeking $600,000 for the Moloka'i Irrigation System. The bill is pending in the House Finance Committee.