Whatever Happened To...
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Kailua Reservoir made into stream
Question: What ever happened to the state's plans to tear down the Kailua Reservoir?
Answer: Heavy downpours on April 2 created a crack in the outflow drain of the Kailua Reservoir in Waimanalo. State officials were not sure then whether the reservoir would hold after another period of heavy rain. More than 30 families were evacuated that day.
Since then, contractors worked on creating a controlled breach of the reservoir, turning it into a stream into the ocean.
There is now a 12- to 15-foot cut in the reservoir so the Waimanalo stream can flow directly into the ocean, said Adjutant Gen. Robert Lee, who heads the state Civil Defense.
All that remains is to install interlocking erosion-control devices to slow the flow of the water, Lee said.
Contractors also are making the slope steeper and trying to stabilize the ground to prevent erosion and flooding.
The erosion-control devices, called jacks, will be half-buried in the ground. Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Janelle Saneishi said about 20,000 jacks will be installed, and the work should be completed by March, barring any delays due to bad weather.
"What the reservoir did was block water," Saneishi said. "If the reservoir breaks, it would be uncontrolled and flood the areas. They just broke part of the dam down so the water will have a controlled flow."
The dam was built in the 1930s for irrigation, but the state shut down the reservoir in 1993. It is owned by the state Department of Agriculture.
The reservoir is about 2 to 2.5 acres, with the capacity to hold 4 million to 5 million gallons of water.
Lee applauded Mayor Mufi Hannemann and nearby residents for clearing their private areas so the water flows freely.
This update was written by Star-Bulletin reporter Gene Park.
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