Bill Text: HI SCR22 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urging The Commission On Water Resource Management To Establish An Updated Sustainable Yield For The Kualapuu Aquifer System That Incorporates The Findings Of The United States Geological Survey's Central Molokai Groundwater Recharge And Availability Study To Protect Native Hawaiian Traditional And Customary Practices And The Future Water Self-sufficiency Of Molokai.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-28 - Referred to WTL/HWN. [SCR22 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2020-SCR22-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
22 |
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THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
URGING THE COMMISSION ON WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TO ESTABLISH AN UPDATED SUSTAINABLE YIELD FOR THE KUALAPUU AQUIFER SYSTEM THAT INCORPORATES THE FINDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY'S CENTRAL MOLOKAI GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AND AVAILABILITY STUDY TO PROTECT NATIVE HAWAIIAN TRADITIONAL AND CUSTOMARY PRACTICES AND THE FUTURE WATER SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF MOLOKAI.
WHEREAS, Moloka‘i is a cultural kīpuka, and one of the last remaining places where families continue to engage in Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices as a critical part of their subsistence and agricultural lifestyles; and
WHEREAS, the health and abundance of Moloka‘i's water resources are vital to the life and lifestyles of Moloka‘i's residents, and to the perpetuation of the Native Hawaiian traditional and customary gathering and farming practices upon which they rely; and
WHEREAS, competing and growing demands for Moloka‘i's groundwater resources by public and private entities have resulted in decades of conflict and community concern, including with regards to potential impacts on coastal discharge and the nearshore ecosystems upon which Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices depend; and
WHEREAS, the concerns of Moloka‘i's residents have been heightened in recent years due to the potential sale and further development of Moloka‘i Ranch, which has submitted a renewed water use permit application for groundwater in the Kualapu‘u aquifer system, as well as an increased understanding of the impacts of climate change on weather and rainfall patterns; and
WHEREAS, to help address these concerns, the United States Geological Survey, with support from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and Maui County Department of Water Supply, has undertaken a Central Moloka‘i groundwater recharge and availability study to determine the impacts of additional groundwater withdrawal scenarios on Central Moloka‘i's water resources; and
WHEREAS, the study includes United States Geological Survey's Central Moloka‘i groundwater model, a best-available tool that considers up-to-date land use maps and projections, best available rainfall and evapotranspiration data, and detailed daily model and spatial information, including well distribution information, not considered in previous groundwater availability and recharge models; and
WHEREAS, unlike current groundwater models, the United States Geological Survey's study focuses particularly on the impacts of various water withdrawal scenarios on water and salinity levels near existing wells and on coastal groundwater discharge; and
WHEREAS, the United States Geological Survey presented its preliminary findings to Moloka‘i community members on June 1, 2019, to answer questions and receive the community's mana‘o, including updates on pending water use permit applications from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Maui County Department of Water Supply, and Moloka‘i Ranch; and
WHEREAS, the United States Geological Survey's presentation has raised significant concerns regarding the sufficiency of current groundwater models in preventing impacts to groundwater availability, salinity, and coastal discharge; and
WHEREAS, the State Water Plan requires the Commission on Water Resource Management to use the best information available to determine the sustainable yield of a water source as the maximum rate at which water may be withdrawn from a water source without impairing the utility or quality of the water source, to help ensure sufficient availability of water for present and future generations, and to inform water management decisions including the Commission's consideration of water use permit applications; and
WHEREAS, the sustainable yield of a water source should consider and minimize impacts to constitutionally protected public trust purposes of water, including Native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights and water reservations for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; however, this has not been the case; and
WHEREAS, the preliminary findings of the United States Geological Survey's presentation suggested that the sustainable yield for the Kualapu‘u aquifer system may be up to twenty percent less than what is currently recognized, from 5,000,000 gallons of water per day to as little as 4,000,000 gallons of water per day, based on actual and projected well distribution and withdrawal information; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Commission on Water Resource Management is urged to establish an updated sustainable yield for the Kualapu‘u aquifer system that incorporates the findings of the United States Geological Survey's Central Moloka‘i groundwater recharge and availability study to protect Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices and the future water self-sufficiency of Moloka‘i; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Commission on Water Resource Management is urged to defer any decision making on water use permit applications for non-public trust purposes of water from the Kualapu‘u aquifer system until the completion of the United States Geological Survey's study and the revisiting of the sustainable yield for the Kualapu‘u aquifer system; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Deputy Director for Water Resource Management, Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Mayor of the County of Maui, Chair of the Maui County Council, Director of the Maui County Department of Water Supply, and Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Commission on water resource management; Kualapuu aquifer system; sustainable yield
