ASSOCIATION OF HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUBS
A RESOLUTION
No. 2019 – 53
URGING THE COMMISSION ON WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT TO ESTABLISH AN UPDATED SUSTAINABLE YIELD FOR THE KUALAPU‘U AQUIFER SYSTEM THAT INCORPORATES THE FINDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY’S CENTRAL MOLOKA‘I GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AND AVAILABILITY STUDY TO PROTECT NATIVE HAWAIIAN TRADITIONAL AND CUSTOMARY PRACTICES AND THE FUTURE WATER SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF MOLOKA‘I
WHEREAS, Moloka‘i is a cultural kīpuka, and one of the last remaining places where families continue to engage in Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices as a critical part of their subsistence and agricultural lifestyles; and
WHEREAS, the health and abundance of Moloka‘i’s water resources are vital to the life and lifestyles of Moloka‘i’s residents, and to the perpetuation of the Native Hawaiian traditional and customary gathering and farming practices upon which they rely; and
WHEREAS, competing and growing demands for Moloka‘i’s groundwater resources by public and private entities have resulted in decades of conflict and community concern, including with regards to potential impacts on coastal discharge and the nearshore ecosystems upon which Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices depend; and
WHEREAS, the concerns of Moloka‘i’s residents have been heightened in recent years due to the potential sale and further development of Moloka‘i Ranch, which has submitted a renewed water use permit application for groundwater in the Kualapu‘u aquifer system, as well as an increased understanding of the impacts of climate change on weather and rainfall patterns; and
WHEREAS, to help address these concerns, the United States Geological Survey, with support from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and the Maui County Department of Water Supply, has undertaken a Central Moloka‘i groundwater recharge and availability study to determine the impacts of additional groundwater withdrawal scenarios on Central Moloka‘i’s water resources; and
WHEREAS, the aforementioned study includes United States Geological Survey’s Central Molokaʻi groundwater model, a best-available tool that considers up-to-date land use maps and projections, best available rainfall and evapotranspiration data, and detailed daily model and spatial information, including well distribution information, not considered in previous groundwater availability and recharge models; and
WHEREAS, unlike current groundwater models, the United States Geological Survey’s study focused particularly on the impacts of various water withdrawal scenarios on water and salinity levels near existing wells and on coastal groundwater discharge; and
WHEREAS, the United States Geological Survey presented its preliminary findings to Moloka‘i community members on June 1, 2019, to answer questions and receive the community’s mana‘o, including with regards to pending water use permit applications from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the Maui County Department of Water Supply, and Moloka‘i Ranch; and
WHEREAS, the United States Geological Survey’s presentation has raised significant concerns regarding the sufficiency of current groundwater models in preventing impacts to groundwater availability, salinity, and coastal discharge; and
WHEREAS, the State Water Plan requires the Commission on Water Resources Management to use the best available information available to establish the “sustainable yield” of a water source as the amount of water that can be withdrawn without impairing the utility or quality of the water source, to help ensure sufficient availability of water for present and future generations, and to inform water management decisions including the Commission’s consideration of water use permit applications; and
WHEREAS, the sustainable yield of a water source should consider and minimize impacts to constitutionally protected public trust purposes of water, including Native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights and water reservations for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, although this has not been the case; and
WHEREAS, the United States Geological Survey’s presentation on its preliminary findings suggested that the sustainable yield for the Kualapu‘u aquifer system may be up to 20% less than what is currently recognized, from 5 million gallons of water per day to as little as 4 million gallons of water per day, based on actual and projected well distribution and withdrawal information; and
WHEREAS, the Maui Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs adopted this resolution at its annual council convention held on Maui in July, and is forwarding the same to the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs to be considered as a resolution submitted by the Maui Council of Hawaiian Civic Clubs.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs at its 60th Annual Convention in Lahaina, Maui, in the malama of Welehu and the rising of Lāʻau Pau, this 16th day of November 2019, urging the Commission on Water Resources Management to establish an updated sustainable yield for the Kualapu‘u aquifer system that incorporates the findings of the United States Geological Survey’s Central Moloka‘i groundwater recharge and availability study to protect Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices and the future water self-sufficiency of Moloka‘i; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association urges the Commission on Water Resources Management to defer any decision making on water use permit applications for non-public trust purposes of water from the Kualapu‘u aquifer system until the completion of the United States Geological Survey’s study and the revisiting of the sustainable yield for the Kualapu‘u aquifer system; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted to Governor of the State of Hawai‘i, the Chairperson of the Commission on Water Resources Management, the Deputy Director for Water Resources Management, the Chairman of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, the Mayor of the County of Maui, the Chair of the Maui County Council, the Director of the Maui County Department of Water Supply, the Maui County Councilmember representing the island of Moloka‘i, the CEO of the Council of Native Hawaiian Advancement, as well as the President of the State Senate, Speaker of the State House of Representatives, Chair of the State Senate subject matter committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the State House subject matter committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and all county mayors.
The undersigned hereby certifies that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted in the malama of Welehu and the rising of Lāʻau Pau on the 16th day of November 2019, at the 60th Annual Convention of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs in Lahaina, Maui.
Hailama V. K. K. Farden, President
