Na Wai Eha: Wailuku Water Company and HC&S to release water on August 9

MAUI—Wailuku Water Company (WWC) and Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company (HC&S) will be releasing water past their diversions in Waihee River and North and South Waiehu Streams on Monday, August 9, to comply with a recent order issued by the State Commission on Water Resource Management. The order was a result of contested case hearing initiated by several Maui community groups petitioning to restore streamflows in the Waihee River and Waiehu, Iao, and Waikapu Streams, collectively known as Na Wai Eha.

Due to safety concerns, access to the area will be restricted during the releases and people are urged to be aware of rising water levels on both streams throughout the day. Commission staff will accompany representatives from WWC and HC&S to measure and document the releases. Some users receiving stream water from ditch systems may experience inadequate or a failure in ditch flows as a result of the releases.

The Commission determined that the minimum amount of water that should flow below the Spreckels Ditch on Waihee is 10 million gallons per day (mgd), which should result in 6 mgd of water flowing past the stream’s mouth. On Waiehu Stream, a minimum of 1.6 mgd must flow below the diversion on North Waiehu and 0.9 mgd below the Spreckels Ditch diversion on South Waiehu, which should result in 0.6 mgd flowing at the mouth of Waiehu Stream. These minimum flows are referred to as instream flow standards.

Video of the releases and field reports documenting compliance with the order will be prepared by Commission staff and posted on the Commission website at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/cwrm.