After the flood the question arose: who is responsible for the maintenance of the streams, irrigation ditches, and reservoirs?
On March 2, the community met with representatives from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture, City Department of Public Works and other city and state agencies. Those at the meeting left with the sense that solutions were achievable if we work together.
To that end members of the community have met individually and in small groups with representatives from the Waimanalo Watershed Council to give their idea on the causes and possible solutions. That information has been compiled and given to the Department of Agriculture for distribution to the other city and state agencies. Some consistent problems were easily identified: many culverts are too small or blocked by debris and sediment, streams and ditches require maintenance and erosion control.
On the government side, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other agencies has had engineers and representatives looking at the streams, ditches, reservoirs--to figure out what can be done. The Department of Land and Natural Resources has cleared the streams and culverts at several critical locations.
Now it is time for the community to come together with the government agencies to work out what we should do. A meeting is scheduled for June 1, at 9 am, at the Waimanalo Library. It is important that we go into that meeting willing to share responsibility with the government agencies. When projects are agreed upon, the community can support the agencies in their request for funding to do them. And community members can increase their awareness of the streams--to know when a stream needs attention and care, and to know what a healthy stream is like.