State water commission will hold meetings in Maui County

The Maui News
Sunday, December 09, 2007

HONOLULU - The state Commission on Water Resource Management will hold three meetings in Maui County this month as part of proposed revisions to the state Water Resources Protection Plan.

Originally prepared in 1990, the updated plan draft takes into account new and better information such as hydrologic data and land-use changes. It also includes policies set by the commission and/or the Hawaii Supreme Court.

Although permanent in-stream flow standards have yet to be set for most of Hawaii's streams, the current plan draft discusses the general methodology for setting standards and establishes the surface water hydrologic units and coding system to be used for management of stream data.

The draft also includes chapters on resource monitoring, water conservation, resource augmentation and droughts.

The schedule of Maui County meetings, which all begin at 6 p.m., is:

- Kahului, Monday at the Maui High School cafeteria.

- Molokai, Tuesday at Kulana Oiwi Complex conference room, 600 Maunaloa Highway, Kaunakakai.

- Lanai, Wednesday at the Lanai High and Elementary School cafeteria.

A draft of the Water Resource Protection Plan can be found online at www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/cwrm. The draft also may be reviewed at all public libraries, at the Maui Community College library and at the commission's Honolulu office at 1151 Punchbowl St., Room 227.

The commission will accept written testimony until Monday. It can be mailed to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, P.O. Box 621, Honolulu 96809.

Anyone with special needs who needs accommodations to participate in the public meetings should call (808) 587-0214.