LISTEN TO THE RAIN
A SPECIAL REPORT
Pflueger in no hurry to rebuild reservoir
KA LOKO DAM
KILAUEA, Kauai » James Pflueger, the owner of Ka Loko Dam, said that if it's up to him, he won't rebuild it.
But 20 farmers, growing mostly organic fruits in the Waiakalua subdivisions near Kilauea, get water from the Ka Loko Reservoir that breached March 14.
The water comes from a pipeline run by Kilauea Irrigation Co.
They say that the county water system cannot handle their water needs, and, even if it could, it would be cost-prohibitive to do so.
County, state and federal politicians have pledged to support those farmers relying on Ka Loko, and U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye announced recently that he has secured $3 million in federal funds to repair and rebuild the irrigation system and to remove debris caused by the breach.
But Pflueger, owner of a majority of the reservoir, said the 116-year-old water feature is an albatross now.
The state attorney general's office has been investigating the cause of the breach, and Pflueger and Kilauea Irrigation Co. have been subpoenaed for records relating to the dam and the reservoir.
Pflueger also told the Star-Bulletin that the people relying on the water to feed their crops are the same ones accusing him of diverting water and doing work to his mauka lands without a permit.
"I need this reservoir like I need a whole in the head," he said last week. The organic farmers, "they're the ones out to get (me). These guys want to kill me and blame me for everything."
Pflueger and his property manager, Gordon Rosa, deny that any work was done to divert streams in mauka lands.
The reservoir was first built by Kilauea Sugar Co. to supply thousands of acres growing sugar. It was built into what is believed to be its current height, 34 feet, in 1913, according to Kilauea Sugar records kept by the Kauai Historical Society. The company stopped growing sugar in the 1970s.
The rest of the reservoir was bought by Pflueger's grandmother, Mary Lucas, between 1895 and 1915, and is held in a trust, of which Pflueger is one of the beneficiaries.