Irrigation meeting to discuss Waipi'o

By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor

HONOKA'A, Hawai'i — The return of water flow to Hakalaoa Falls in Waipi'o Valley and repairs to the Lower Hamakua Ditch will be discussed by state and federal agriculture officials at a public meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Honoka'a School cafeteria.

Surface water was diverted illegally from Hakalaoa — one of the scenic valley's twin falls — about 12 years ago by Hamakua Sugar Co. so repairs could be made to the ditch after a landslide destroyed a tunnel.

When the company went bankrupt in 1993, the 24-mile ditch system fell into disrepair. Kamehameha Schools acquired the former sugar lands, and the state took over the aging irrigation system in 1994 to make repairs to support diversified agriculture in the area.

Stream flow is expected to be restored to the waterfall in two months, state officials said. Waipi'o Valley's other waterfall, Hi'ilawe, drops about 1,000 feet and is the highest free-falling waterfall in the Islands.

The $10 million repair work on the Lower Hamakua Ditch is in the third of six phases.

Other irrigation-related projects to be discussed at the meeting include the Hi'ilawe bypass tunnel, Honoka'a Reservoir, Pa'auilo distribution pipeline and Pa'auilo Reservoir lining.

The state's Agribusiness Development Corp. will present its plans for an agricultural subdivision that will make more land available to farmers.

Wednesday's meeting is being sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, the state Agriculture Department and Rep. Dwight Takamine, D-1st, whose district includes North Hamakua.

For more information on the meeting, call Brian Kau at the Agricultural Resource Management Division at (808) 973-9473.