[ OUR OPINION ]
Flood control project
a chance to renew the Ala WaiAS HUGE and costly an undertaking as it will be, a project intended to prevent massive damage from floods through the Ala Wai watershed should be regarded as essential. In addition to flood control, it presents an opportunity to enhance the canal's surroundings as a recreational and community asset for residents as well as visitors and increase commercial potential along the waterway. Restoring conditions of the streams that empty into the canal would improve environmental quality, reducing the chemicals, trash and wastes they carry from mountain to sea.
THE ISSUE
A design is being charted for the canal and watershed to avoid damage from severe storms.
The state and federal government are discussing the project, which is primarily aimed at avoiding the tremendous damage severe floods could inflict in the densely populated watershed area that includes Manoa, Makiki, Kaimuki, Kapahulu, Ala Moana and Oahu's tourism center, Waikiki.
The Army Corps of Engineers anticipates that a so-called "100-year storm" would put a large swath of the area under 3 to 5 feet of water with structural damage alone estimated at $130 million. Revenue losses could push that figure into the hundreds of millions if businesses and tourism enterprises are seriously affected. Although the corps predicts that Waikiki would be spared the brunt of flooding, any disruption would be a blow to Hawaii's economy.
The economic repercussions are sufficient reason for moving ahead with the project, but it need not be the sole objective. Through the years, government and tourism industry leaders -- recognizing that the waterway could become an attractive addition to the urban core and to Waikiki -- have suggested a variety of plans to upgrade the canal area.
It has been spruced up with landscaping pedestrian walkways and bike paths near the Convention Center, but proposals for new bridges and recreational improvements have unfortunately failed to materialize.
The watershed is home to more than 161,000 people and has suffered considerable degradation as a result. Parts of the streams are paved in concrete for minimal flood and erosion protection, while harming native species. Garbage and pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals from human habitation pollute streams, then the canal and ocean in turn. Community and environmental groups have worked energetically to clean up the waterways, but efforts would be more effective if coordinated with the project.
About two miles of the canal has been dredged in the last two years, removing sediment and debris to deepen the waterway, but that isn't near enough to the capacity needed to prevent flooding.
A 100-year storm is labeled as such because it would occur on average once every 100 years, but that by no means is a reliable prediction of frequency. A state climatologist notes that Hawaii island has experienced three 100-year events in the last 20 years. Moreover, far less intense storms have repeatedly caused major damage on Oahu.
The flood project could cost up to $60 million in state and federal funds and take more than 10 years to complete. Time and money should not dissuade Hawaii from taking it on.
