Waiahole Ditch
water plan will stand,
governor says

But clear definitions in ecological
matters are needed, he adds

By Mike Yuen
Star-Bulletin

Gov. Ben Cayetano says the state water commission's proposed decision on how to allocate Waiahole Ditch water was required under existing rules.

But he is concerned that future decisions on water allocation have no adverse affects on the ecology in Windward Oahu streams, he said yesterday.

What constitutes "an adverse situation" is ambiguous and needs to be more clearly defined, Cayetano said. Unless there is a precise definition, there will be more battles over where Waiahole water should go, he said.

The Commission on Water Resource Management's decision last week allocates more water to Leeward Oahu than to Windward Oahu.

"Clearly, the future for farming is on the Leeward and Central side of this island," Cayetano said. "That's where the sunshine is and where we have a lot of land.

"We're committed to keep the Windward side rural, agricultural. But crops don't grow there as well as on the Leeward side.

"That's a fact of life that Windward farmers are going to have to face," he said.

The proposal would mean 10.24 million gallons a day would go to Leeward Oahu -- 9 million for farmland and the remainder for other uses.

Six million gallons would flow to Windward streams, while 10.76 million gallons would be kept "unpermitted."