Reviving Kailua waterways, wildlife is focus of proposals

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

KAILUA — Stagnant and salty water threatens the health of Kailua's waterways that were once flushed by mountain streams, but two proposed plans could restore these canals and benefit wildlife.

• The state Department of Land and Natural Resources wants to rejuvenate Hamakua Marsh.
• Sen. Bob Hogue, R-24th (Kane'ohe, Maunawili, Enchanted Lake), is looking into restoring the flow of water from Kawainui Marsh to the Hamakua wetland.

They said that infusing Hamakua with fresh water would revitalize the marsh and the waterways surrounding it, and provide ponds for the water birds.

At one time mountain streams freely flowed to Hamakua Marsh, supplying a steady source of fresh water and ensuring the vitality of the marsh and the waterways that flowed through it. But the water flow was restricted after a 1987 storm flooded homes next to Kawainui Marsh and caused millions of dollars in damage.

Hamakua Marsh is now fed by rainwater and runoff that enters into the canal that flows through it. The canal flows through the Enchanted Lake subdivision and hooks up to Ka'elepulu Stream, which empties into the ocean at Kailua Beach Park.

Today the system is sluggish and getting saltier, said David Smith, DLNR O'ahu wildlife manager. Hamakua Marsh, a nesting ground for water birds, often dries up.

"Anybody can see that that waterway is a stagnant backwater," said Smith said, indicating that he would support Hogue's proposal. "It's a no-brainer project. It is a way to re-establish the primary drainage for the marsh."

For three years Smith has been working with a partnership of private organizations and schools to restore the marsh and enhance the water bird habitat by clearing it of invasive vegetation.

But the marsh needs water, and he wants to drill a shallow well that could feed it during the dry season.

Hogue wants to open the levee to allow water to flow through Hamakua. The project could be designed so the levee could be sealed when flooding conditions occur, Hogue said.

"A flow-through will allow all waterways in Kailua to improve," he said.

Numerous residents brought the issue to his attention, Hogue said, and he has discussed options with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which built the levee project and has jurisdiction over wetlands.

Derek Chow, Corps of Engineers senior project manager, said the corps has the authority to re-examine its projects and make adjustments to them, once a local sponsor makes a request. DLNR would be the most likely sponsor.

But a project like that could take five to seven years and include environmental studies and development of a solution that doesn't weaken flood protection, according to Chow, who said: "We have to demonstrate that this is a good project and worthy of using taxpayer dollars, and it competes against projects nationwide."

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.