Experts to assess safety of dams

» The state is instructing owners to inspect and report on their structures
» Five dams aside from Ka Loko are still being monitored as a precaution

Mainland dam experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation will fly to Kauai to assess the safety of all of the island's dams and reservoirs, Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste said yesterday.

It is part of an effort to assure the public the dams are safe in the wake of Tuesday's Ka Loko Dam breach.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources is "instructing all dam or reservoir owners to immediately inspect and report back to the department the nature and condition of their dams or reservoirs," department Director Peter Young said.

The mayor said the state and the county are continuing to monitor and assess six dams -- Ka Loko, Morita, Waiakalua, Elua, Alexander and Waita -- more as a precaution than because the dams are in danger of failure.

Kauai Civil Defense also has been working with the Army Corps of Engineers and the state since Wednesday to assess and evaluate other dams on the island, said Kauai Civil Defense official Elton Ushio.

KAUAI BRIEFS To seek or offer help Here is a list of resources for victims of the Kauai dam disaster, along with contacts for those interested in donating to help in the recovery. » Flood victims can contact the American Red Cross at 245-4919 for shelter, food, clothing and other household necessities. » Victims can also call Aloha United Way's 211 help line to report damage and access services. » To give to flood victims, contact the Hawaii Community Foundation at 566-5527 or e-mail kvierra@hcf-hawaii.org. Checks should be made out to the Kauai Island Fund and sent to the foundation at 1164 Bishop St., Honolulu, HI 97813. » Donations can also be sent to the American Red Cross of Hawaii, marked for the Kauai disaster. Send checks to the Red Cross at 4155 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, HI 96816 or donate online at www.hawaiiredcross.org. Contact the Red Cross at 739-8109. Groups donating » The Salvation Army and Kauai Food Bank are providing hot meals and drinks to relief workers at the Friendship Club in Kapaa, Salvation Army Hanapepe Corps Community Center, Salvation Army Lihue Corps Community Center, Kalaheo Neighborhood Center, Church of the Pacific in Princeville and Kilauea Neighborhood Center. The Salvation Army has also opened two centers to provide temporary shelter and meals to flood victims. » Home Depot has donated $6,000 to the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter, to help flooding victims on Kauai. » Allstate Insurance Co.'s Northwest Regional Office has given $2,000 to the Kaua'i Island Fund, created to help people affected by collapse of the Ka Loko Reservoir. Solicitors warned The Office of Disciplinary Counsel is warning that attorneys and their agents should not directly solicit business from prospective clients with whom they do not have any prior relationship, in the wake of "recent weather-related events," according to a press release. Attorneys are not permitted to solicit clients by phone, e-mail, facsimile or in person. Direct-mail solicitation must be clearly marked "Advertising Material" and say how the attorney obtained the information that prompted the solicitation, the counsel said. Anyone who has been improperly contacted by an attorney is urged to write to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, 1132 Bishop St., Suite 300, Honolulu, HI 96813. The letter should include a description of the conduct, sender's name and address, attorney's name, date, content of the solicitation and a copy of it, if written.

The DLNR says there are 53 dams on Kauai. On Thursday the agency, which is in charge of monitoring about 140 dams in Hawaii, acknowledged that its records do not show any inspections of Ka Loko Dam.

Baptiste said the water level in Morita Dam, below Ka Loko Dam, has dropped to 12 feet below the rim. The dam was overflowing on Tuesday. On Thursday a 24-inch irrigation pipe, which has not been used since the plantation days, was pried open to help drain the reservoir.

Once the dam is drained, the mayor said, the damaged structure will be taken down.

Yesterday, the Army Corps of Engineers conducted an aerial and ground inspection of Waita Dam near Koloa and said there were no problems with the structure, said Grove Farm Co. spokeswoman Kathy Thompson.

Waita Dam contains the island's largest reservoir and sits above Koloa and Poipu. The dam's capacity is 9,900 acre-feet of water -- about seven times the capacity of Ka Loko.

Thursday night, the water in the reservoir reached 22 feet 4 inches deep. The state lists the height of the dam at 23 feet, but Thompson said the earthen dam is about 25 to 28 feet tall.

By yesterday afternoon the water level in the reservoir had dropped to 21 feet 9 inches, Thompson said.

Grove Farm took reporters on a tour of the 3,250-foot-long dam and spillway yesterday. Clear water from the reservoir was flowing swiftly over the spillway into Waihohonu Stream and then into Waikomo Stream.

The company emphasized the water into Waikomo Stream, which overflowed Thursday, comes from several sources besides the Waita Reservoir.

The spillway is a safety feature of the dam, said Adam Killermann, a private contractor who maintains Waita and other dams on Kauai.

If the spillway were not there, Killermann said, the water level could rise to the point where water would spill over the dam itself, which could lead to a dam breach.

He said the flow of water into the reservoir has been stopped, but he said 20 inches of rain has fallen in the area since March 1.

The level of water at Waita was "the highest I've ever seen it," Killermann said.

The DLNR also is asking dam owners to evaluate and update their emergency preparedness plans, "including evaluation of potential downstream impacts should the dam or reservoir breach or partially breach."

Young said four department engineers remain on Kauai to inspect reservoirs and dams at Ka Loko, Puu Ka Ele, Wailua, Upper Kapahi, Okinawa, Tanaka, Twin, Elua and Waita reservoirs. One is stationed at the Kauai Civil Defense Operations Center.

The U.S. Geological Survey will be working with the DLNR and state Civil Defense to install up to four radio-equipped water-level gauges at selected Kauai reservoirs with overtopping concerns, Young said.

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Residents warned against murky water

With all the rain and flooding in Hawaii over the past month, state officials are reminding residents to stay out of standing water and murky, brown beaches.

Floodwaters can contain chemical pollutants and harmful pathogens from overflowing cesspools and animal feces, state officials said this week. If ocean water is brown, it is likely contaminated by runoff water.

The state Department of Health has posted warning signs to keep swimmers out of the water at 14 beaches statewide, according to its Web site.

But health officials say residents should be careful about going in the water even if no signs are posted.

Those cleaning up after floodwaters should wear protective gear, including boots.

For more information on water warnings and tips on cleaning up after a flood, go to the Health Department's Web site at www.hawaii.gov/health.

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