For those of us who campaigned long and hard in the 1990s to get the Ala Wai Canal dredged, it's a bit unsettling to realize it has already been about five years since that project was completed.

That means that if earlier University of Hawaii studies about sediment buildup were accurate, it will be time to do it all over again in another five years.

Besides the dredging, one of the best things to come out of those years of meetings, conferences, studies and visioning sessions was the concept of taking a holistic view of the problem by evaluating it as a watershed-wide issue.

That notion accordingly brought together folks from the sub-watershed areas of Makiki, Manoa and Palolo—as well as the neighborhoods of McCully, Moiliili, Kapahulu, Ala Moana and Waikiki—to find ways to lessen stream pollution and sediment runoff.

At the same time, the Army Corps of Engineers became involved under the U.S. Flood Control Act of 1962 and is currently in the “;Feasibility Phase”; of an ongoing Ala Wai Watershed Project, in partnership with Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources and Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services.

The stated purpose of this project is to manage the water resources by “;investigating and evaluating solutions to restore ecosystem function and reduce flood hazards throughout the area.”;

The project manager has announced four primary goals:

» Protect the entire 11,000-acre watershed from the effects of a 100-year flood

» Improve the migratory pathways of native fish species

» Reduce the canal's sediment buildup

» Enhance the quality of the aquatic habitat for native species.

The next step for the project, after analyzing data from various recent studies, is to create an Environmental Impact Statement together with a Feasibility Study of the possible measures needed to achieve its goals and their impact on the watershed.

Some of those measures under consideration are dredging, creating flood walls, detention and/or debris basins, bridge modifications, diversion of flood water, flood warning systems, channel widening, acquisition of property within the floodplain and creating a drainage district.

But in evaluating these measures, the project notes that, “;minimizing the adverse impact to social resources, economics, aesthetics, recreation, historic and cultural resources and native species habitat will be taken into account.”;

This is somewhat reassuring for anyone who might utilize the canal for paddling, or has a boat moored anywhere in the Ala Wai Harbor.

Not only would the picture of a canal with 10- or 15-foot-high walls be a blight on the landscape, but walls that would funnel the torrents of a 100-year flood through the harbor on the way out to sea would make them totally unacceptable.

For those who would like to present their written or oral opinions regarding the Watershed Project, there will be a public “;scoping”; meeting on Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Washington Middle School cafeteria.

Organizers recommend that your comments should clearly describe specific environmental topics or issues you believe the document should address.