The state is a step closer to acquiring the Wahiawā dam and irrigation system.
This comes more than three weeks after the back-to-back Kona low rainstorms forced the reservoir's water levels to rise, nearly exceeding the dam’s crest and prompting evacuations from thousands of residents who live downstream.
The board of the Agribusiness Development Corp. voted to acquire the Wahiawā dam and spillway along with designating the agency’s executive director to negotiate the transfer with the dam’s current owners.
The state has been racing against the clock to meet a June 30 deadline under a 2023 law, when lawmakers appropriated $26 million to repair and maintain the Wahiawā dam and irrigation system from Dole Food Co.
But the cost has gone up in recent years. Gov. Josh Green put in a new budget capital improvement plan request to the Legislature for nearly $29 million for plans, land acquisition, construction and improvements to the dam.
The ADC vote is not the final step. The ADC board of directors will need to meet again in the coming weeks to go over the negotiations and reach an agreement.
Last month, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources voted to acquire the reservoir.
Once the transition is complete, the state will begin retrofitting the spillway and embankment to meet safety standards.
