Gathering Places
Gathering Places
AT A RECENT Maui Planning Commission workshop on the Wailea 670 resort development in south Maui, not mentioned was the potential of this project for denying adequate and affordable water to Native Hawaiians who have waited several generations to move onto Hawaiian Homelands in upcountry Maui. Resort plan upsets
water priorities
for MauiThe Wailea 670 project, organized by a Delaware corporation whose principals have so far refused to reveal their identities, would include 1,400 luxury houses in gated communities and a private golf course above Wailea that the developer states are intended for wealthy non-residents.
In testimony about water resources, hydro-geologist Tom Nance described a plan for producing 3 million gallons a day of usable water by drilling wells across Ulupalakua Ranch at the 1,400-foot elevation.
He explained that they would need to drill a series of deep wells with more than 5 million gallons a day of pump capacity and that they would keep drilling wells until this amount had been attained.
He said his firm had done extensive geological testing, using sonic waves and magnetic devices, to ascertain that water was likely to be found. An existing golf course well lower down in Wailea that produces potable water proves that good water is available and a new test well would be used to obtain data.
Nance said they had obtained a well-drilling permit for a production well and that Wailea 670 had agreed with Ulupalakua Ranch for the right to develop all the water available on ranch lands.
I have heard from other sources that the amount of water intended to be developed is much greater, possibly 10 million gallons a day. The additional water may be provided to Makena Resorts and Ulupalakua Ranch for resort development and housing on their properties.
Lacking from the testimony by Nance and Charlie Jencks, the spokesman for Wailea 670 who was the Maui County director of public works and waste management until recently, was any mention of water rights or priorities.
I understand that the highest priorities for water lie with Hawaiian Homes for the Hawaiian Community and for agriculture. Next in priority would be existing urban and rural water customers, then new housing, and resort development last of all.
Two socially exciting projects planned for Maui are the Hawaiian Homes Commission pastoral and agricultural lots in the Waiohuli and Keokea districts of Kula. For these projects to succeed, and for the Hawaiian families who have waited for these projects to come to fruition, a large amount of affordable water will be needed.
The proposed plan by Wailea 670, however, may strip every drop of water from the southwest flank of Mount Haleakala. If this occurs, Maui's two major Hawaiian Homes projects will languish.
It is time to decide whether the existing priorities of water use, favoring Hawaiians, agriculture and the existing community should be enforced, or whether we should change our water code, Constitution, general plan and water use and development plans to give first priority to non-resident millionaires and new resort development.
Jonathan Starr is a member of the Maui County Board of Water Supply.