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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0620.003 2012-2014 SIERRA CLUB, HAWAII CHAPTER MOKU LOA GROUP P.O.Box 1137 Hilo HI 96721 February 3, 2014 Hawaii County Council Zendo Kern, Chair, Committee on Planning z7 Hearing 2.4.2014 1:45 pm RE: Communication 620 Support: Designation of the Keauhou Aquifer System as a Groundwater Management Area Aloha, My name is Deborah Ward. and I am speaking on behalf of the members of the Moku Loa Group of Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter. Sierra Club members would like to thank the Water Commission for making this presentation today. We are in strong support of the designation of the Keauhou Aquifer System as a groundwater management area, in order to address the careful management of culturally and environmentally significant water resources in an area set aside for pro-active protection. Where competing interests and high demand for resources exist, GMAs have been demonstrably effective at ensuring the reasonable-beneficial use of the water resources in a manner consistent with the public interest. Given the sensitivity and importance of these resources and importance of water to all stakeholders, including the community living in this area, proactive management of groundwater withdrawals is urgently needed. The Water Use and Development Plan for the county of Hawaii states that the demand for water for existing permitted uses(not including recent proposals) is twice the amount available in the aquifer at Keauhou.. Without staff support and management of the resource, shortages,of potable water, expensive desalination,and serious and irreversible consequences to precious cultural and natural resources could, and likely will, result. We are concerned that the development and use of wells in the high level aquifer to support mauka projects may affect the availability of groundwater that supports the fishponds, wetlands, and anchialine ponds downslope. The anchialine ponds support endemic and native flora and fauna that depend on brackish groundwater. The pools, ponds,wetlands and offshore coral reef ecosystems are all dependent on freshwater stored in the basal lens and perched aquifers. Withdrawals from the high-level aquifer could affect the basal lens, decreasing water levels and increasing salinity. A study conducted by Oki et al showed that showed that groundwater flux to the coast along Kaloko- Honokohau National Historic Park has decreased by^'50%, and water levels throughout the National Park have dropped by"'0.6 ft since 1978 in response to modest levels of withdrawal. Saltwater intrusion Comm. No. ?"-0 Ref.To: Ref. Date 44 2014 into the local aquifers would be an irreversible, significant long-term adverse impact to the local ecosystem and future groundwater use. •"In Hawai'i, we consume the most water per capita in the United States," U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said at a forum on water and climate change held in the state Capitol auditorium on August 19, 2013. More specifically, local residents use 18 percent more water than average Americans, he said. With projected population growth—350,000 more people by 2040—and increased demand (not to mention reduced precipitation as a result of climate change),the state must work now toward ensuring an adequate supply of water, Some may say that the designation of this ground water management area is not an urgent issue. We disagree. We urge the County Council to support the Water Commission in acting as soon as possible to protect the resources before more even serious detrimental effects of groundwater withdrawn, damages the ecosystems that support the fish we eat,the reefs that enthrall residents and visitors alike, and the birds and wildlife that make Hawaii unique in all the world. Sincerely, Deborah Ward Conservation Committee Moku Loa Group, Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter a