REPORT TITLE:
Ala Wai Canal Watershed


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates funds for the Ala Wai canal watershed improvement
project to improve the quality of water in the Ala Wai canal,
tributary streams, and nearshore ocean waters.  (SD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2603
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO THE ALA WAI WATERSHED.


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to fund projects in
 
 2 the Ala Wai canal watershed to improve the quality of water in
 
 3 the Ala Wai canal, tributary streams, and nearshore ocean waters.
 
 4 The watershed is a 16.2 square mile area which lays generally
 
 5 between Diamond Head and Punchbowl, from the ocean reefs to the
 
 6 mountain tops, and includes Waikiki.
 
 7      The legislature finds the following:
 
 8      (1)  The cleanliness of the Ala Wai canal is vital to the
 
 9           continued economic success of Waikiki, which generates
 
10           more than one-half of the revenues from tourism in the
 
11           State;
 
12      (2)  More than one-half of the lands and water area in the
 
13           Ala Wai watershed are owned by the State.  The State
 
14           owns or manages and is responsible for the water in the
 
15           streams and the canal, and for its quality;
 
16      (3)  The legislature has adopted, by Senate Concurrent
 
17           Resolution No. 140, S.D. 1 (1998), the management and
 
18           implementation plan for the Ala Wai canal water quality
 
19           improvement project.  The plan was the product of a
 
20           court mandated consent decree between the State of
 

 
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 1           Hawaii and the city and county of Honolulu due to
 
 2           violations of the federal Clean Water Act.  The plan
 
 3           presently serves as the guide for projects in the
 
 4           watershed to improve water quality;
 
 5      (4)  The Ala Wai canal watershed is the most densely
 
 6           populated area in the State with more than 150,000
 
 7           permanent residents, and added population daily of
 
 8           visitors, workers, students, and shoppers who may add
 
 9           another 150,000 persons during peak periods.  This
 
10           large number of people present daily is the cause of
 
11           the significant litter problem;
 
12      (5)  The termiticides now banned by the United States
 
13           Environmental Protection Agency are still present in
 
14           the watershed and are found in canal sediments, fish,
 
15           and the board of water supply's Kaimuki wells;
 
16      (6)  Vehicles travel about 1,600,000 miles per day in the
 
17           Ala Wai canal watershed.  Vehicles generate much of the
 
18           copper, zinc, lead, chromium, oils, and grease which
 
19           occur in the Ala Wai canal sediments;
 
20      (7)  The state department of health has recently posted
 
21           public warnings against the consumption of fish,
 
22           shellfish, and crabs taken in the Ala Wai canal because
 
23           of the high levels of lead and other contaminants found
 

 
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 1           in fish flesh during laboratory tests;
 
 2      (8)  The Ala Wai canal, its tributary streams, and the
 
 3           nearshore ocean waters are intensively used by
 
 4           residents for recreation and by visitors for pleasure.
 
 5           Continued public use requires clean waters;
 
 6      (9)  Keeping the Ala Wai canal clean will be accomplished by
 
 7           upstream projects on streets, house lots, schools,
 
 8           businesses, parks, streams, and the forests.  These
 
 9           watershed projects will reduce erosion, littering, and
 
10           the discharge of chemicals, metals, and pesticides;
 
11     (10)  Many members of the community, including businesses,
 
12           schools, property owners, residents, visitors, and
 
13           commuters, must be intensively involved in implementing
 
14           the wide variety and great number of projects which
 
15           will eventually bring about a cleaner watershed, and
 
16           thus a cleaner Ala Wai canal;
 
17     (11)  The cost of dredging the canal is at least $1,500,000
 
18           annually when averaged over a ten-year period.  The
 
19           canal was last dredged in 1978, although it should be
 
20           dredged every ten years.  The legislature has
 
21           appropriated about $11,000,000 in recent years to
 
22           dredge the canal, and this project may begin this year.
 
23           It is the objective of the Ala Wai canal watershed
 

 
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 1           project to reduce erosion and the flow of land-based
 
 2           contaminants from the watershed so that future dredging
 
 3           operations will be less costly; and
 
 4     (12)  Savings in future dredging costs will be the result of
 
 5           the projects both underway at present and proposed for
 
 6           the future in the watershed.  By constructing projects
 
 7           in the watershed, the State will later save money on
 
 8           dredging and maintaining the Ala Wai canal itself.  The
 
 9           legislature is well aware of the millions of dollars
 
10           appropriated to clean-up the Ala Wai, to dredge it, and
 
11           to beautify it, and knows the need to keep the Ala Wai
 
12           clean, odor-free, and attractive to visitors and
 
13           residents.  The Ala Wai watershed projects in this Act
 
14           will help to:
 
15           (A)  Avoid costly lawsuits or court-ordered
 
16                improvements;
 
17           (B)  Reduce soil erosion and sedimentation;
 
18           (C)  Reduce litter;
 
19           (D)  Remove contaminants from stream banks;
 
20           (E)  Reduce pesticides in the environment;
 
21           (F)  Prevent heavy metals from entering the Ala Wai
 
22                canal;
 
23           (G)  Beautify the streams and the canal so that they
 

 
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 1                are more appealing to visitors and residents; and
 
 2           (H)  Protect the public health by improving the quality
 
 3                of water and the fish, shellfish, and crabs in the
 
 4                aquatic habitat.
 
 5      SECTION 2.  The director of finance is authorized to issue
 
 6 general obligation bonds in the sum of $1,890,000, or so much
 
 7 thereof as may be necessary, and the same sum, or so much thereof
 
 8 as may be necessary, is appropriated for fiscal year 2000-2001,
 
 9 for the following:
 
10      1.   Ala Wai canal watershed environmental          $800,000
 
11           restoration project investigation.
 
12                Provide local cost share of up to one-
 
13                half ($800,000) of the total project
 
14                investigation cost ($1,600,000) for the
 
15                United States Army Corps of Engineers to
 
16                prepare designs and an environmental
 
17                impact statement for improved water
 
18                quality and drainage in the Ala Wai canal
 
19                and tributary streams.
 
20      2.   Prepare a detailed master plan for watershed   $500,000
 
21           management including project designs, plans,
 
22           specifications, and an environmental impact
 
23           statement.
 

 
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 1                Prepare plans to improve the local
 
 2                drainage infrastructure in the Ala Wai
 
 3                canal watershed to improve storm water
 
 4                capacity, reduce maintenance costs, and
 
 5                improve water quality.  Integrate
 
 6                features such as low-flow channels
 
 7                suitable to restore habitat in support
 
 8                of the native o'opu, present in all
 
 9                metropolitan Honolulu streams today;
 
10                public access from the ocean to the
 
11                valleys; sediment reduction measure in
 
12                stream channels; and improve maintenance
 
13                designs to protect habitat.
 
14      3.   Hausten ditch water quality and flow study.    $150,000
 
15                Prepare conceptual plans and
 
16                environmental assessments for Hausten
 
17                ditch which originates on state land to
 
18                improve the stagnant and unpleasant
 
19                conditions there for improved drainage
 
20                in this area, and to protect the water
 
21                quality of the Ala Wai canal.
 
22      4.   Reduce soil erosion and improve vegetative     $250,000
 
23           cover in the conservation district.
 

 
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 1                Reduce erosion of stream banks and
 
 2                adjacent areas using a variety of
 
 3                methods.  Replant eroding areas with
 
 4                native or Polynesian species, re-seed,
 
 5                develop nurseries to provide native or
 
 6                Polynesian species, test areas, and
 
 7                develop community programs to enroll
 
 8                volunteers.
 
 9      5.   Beautification of Makiki Stream from King St.  $150,000
 
10           along Kalakaua Ave.
 
11                Beautify the gateway to Waikiki and the
 
12                Convention Center.
 
13      6.   Pukele Stream Lo'i restoration and trail.      $  5,000
 
14                Restore ancient native Hawaiian wetland
 
15                taro terraces to function as wetlands
 
16                before it reaches the stream.
 
17      7.   Waiomao stream restoration, trail, and         $ 10,000
 
18           community garden.
 
19                Clean and prepare Waiomao branch of
 
20                Palolo stream above the end of the
 
21                concrete box channel for community
 
22                garden and trail.
 
23      8.   Upper Palolo Valley and Ka'au Crater trail     $ 25,000
 

 
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 1           and stream restoration.
 
 2                Provide public access into upper Palolo
 
 3                Valley to assist in maintaining the
 
 4                streams and watershed.
 
 5      SECTION 3.  The sum appropriated for this Act shall be
 
 6 expended by the department of land and natural resources for the
 
 7 purposes of this Act.
 
 8      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.