HomeMy WebLinkAboutNRCS Presentation_121406
Introduction
Hi, I’m Harry Toki, NRCS District Conservationist at the USDA Hilo Service Center.
I’m reading this background report written by Dudley Kubo, NRCS project manager for
the Kaumana project.
I’d like to also introduce …(others from the FO or the District).
Through my office, the Natural Resources Conservation Service assists farmers and
ranchers to protect and conserve natural resources, such as soil, water, and wildlife. The
NRCS also provides programs to help communities with water resources problems. In
the 1970s, the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention program was used to address
the flood problem occurring in the Kaumana and Ainako areas of upper Hilo which
affected sugar fields and the expanding residential areas.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Wailuku-Alenaio Watershed project installed the
floodwater diversion along Akolea Road which has prevented a considerable amount of
flood damage in the Ainako area, a diversion above Chongmanville, and improvements to
the stream at the Kaumana Drive bridge by Chong’s Road.
The Kaumana Drive Flood Control project is a new part of the Wailuku-Alenaio
Watershed. In 1999, the County asked NRCS to revise the Wailuku-Alenaio Watershed
plan to account for the conversion of land from agriculture to residential.
The Wailuku-Alenaio Watershed Project is a partnership effort between the County of
Hawaii, Waiakea Soil and Water Conservation District, and the NRCS. In this
partnership, the NRCS provides provides planning and technical services and funds most
of the construction. The County provides local project leadership, landrights, road and
bridge construction, and long-term operation and maintenance. The Waiakea Soil and
Water Conservation District ensures grass-roots input by the community and that the
resulting projects meet the community objectives.
For the Kaumana Project, the County received federal funds from NRCS to engage the
Belt Collins Hawaii planning team.
A major push to the planning activities for the Kaumana project came as a result of the
damages suffered in the November 2000 flood. NRCS brought in specialists from our
mainland offices to evaluate the problem and to propose alternative solutions. We met
with many of the community during that period. However, due to the shortage of NRCS
planning staff in Hawaii, the Planning Reports and environmental documents were not
undertaken until funding became available to hire a planning contractor.
In 2005, NRCS transferred partial funding for the planning contract to the County with
more funding made available in 2006. The planning contract with Belt Collins was
executed in the fall of 2006.
I would be happy to answer any questions that I can. If I cannot answer your question I
will get an answer for you from our planner.
Thank you!