COMMISSION ON WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STATE OF HAWAII In the Matter of ) Case No. CCH-OA95-1 Water Use Permit Applications, ) Petitions for Interim Instream ) Flow Standard Amendments, and ) FINDINGS OF FACT, Petitions for Water Reservations ) CONCLUSIONS OF LAW, AND for the Waiahole Ditch Combined ) DECISION AND ORDER Contested Case Hearing ) ) CONTENTS CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................... i KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS.................................................................................................................. v I. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................... 1 II. BACKGROUND.......................................................................................................................... 2 III. FINDINGS OF FACT................................................................................................................. 5 A. History/Chronology........................................................................................................ 5 1. Waiahole Ditch and Tunnel System................................................................ 6 2. Complaint, Mediation, and Interim Agreement.......................................... 10 3. Combined Contested Case Hearing .............................................................. 11 4. Standing............................................................................................................ 11 5. Existing Use Hearings ..................................................................................... 13 6. Existing Use Order.......................................................................................... 13 7. Proposed Order to Bifurcate.......................................................................... 14 8. Filing of Testimonies and Motions ................................................................ 15 9. Commencement of Contested Case Hearing................................................ 15 10. Closing Oral Arguments................................................................................. 17 B. Interim Instream Flow Standard Amendment......................................................... 17 1. Interim Instream Flow Standard .................................................................. 18 2. Petitions to Amend the Interim Instream Flow Standard.......................... 18 3. Stream Ecology - General............................................................................... 18 4. Native Hawaiian Fish Species (‘O‘opu) ........................................................ 20 5. Alien/Introduced/Exotic Fish Species ........................................................... 24 6. Parasites............................................................................................................ 25 7. Native Hawaiian Damselflies ......................................................................... 28 8. Floral/Plant....................................................................................................... 30 9. Stream Restoration.......................................................................................... 33 10. Instream Flow Protection and Techniques .................................................. 35 11. Marine Ecology/Estuary................................................................................. 38 a. Water Quality/Productivity Impacts on Kaneohe Bay.................. 38 b. Kaneohe Bay Ecosystem in General ................................................ 47 c. Maintenance of Kaneohe Bay ........................................................... 47 12. Aesthetic Values............................................................................................... 48 C. Water Use Permit Applications .................................................................................. 48 1. Chronology - leeward applications for water uses ...................................... 48 2. Water Use Permit Applicants and Water Users.......................................... 51 a. Campbell Estate.................................................................................. 51 1) Larry Jefts - Campbell Lands.............................................. 51 i 2) Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association................................. 52 b. Robinson Estate .................................................................................. 53 1) Larry Jefts.............................................................................. 53 2) Alec Sou .................................................................................. 55 3) Huliwai Tropical Plantations, Limited ............................... 57 4) Eiko Nakama.......................................................................... 58 c. Dole/Castle & Cooke .......................................................................... 58 1) Pacific Landscape Corporation ........................................... 60 2) Hawaiian Foliage and Landscape........................................ 60 3) Nitta......................................................................................... 61 4) Baccam.................................................................................... 62 5) Mililani Golf Club ................................................................. 63 6) Mililani Memorial Park........................................................ 64 d. WIC...................................................................................................... 65 e. DOA Ag Park...................................................................................... 65 f. Royal Oahu Resort............................................................................. 65 g. Puu Makakilo...................................................................................... 70 h. Nihonkai............................................................................................... 77 i. DLNR (Waiawa Correctional Facility) ........................................... 79 j. KSBE.................................................................................................... 79 k. West Beach Estates............................................................................. 81 3. Interested Parties............................................................................................. 83 a. Del Monte ............................................................................................ 83 b. Hawaii Farm Bureau ......................................................................... 84 c. Navy...................................................................................................... 85 D. Petitions for Reservations of Water ........................................................................... 90 1. Department of Agriculture............................................................................. 90 2. Office of Hawaiian Affairs ............................................................................. 91 3. Waiahole-Waikane Community Association ............................................... 92 4. Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate ............................................................ 92 a. Brief History of KSBE's Lands in Waiawa..................................... 93 b. KSBE's Water Agreements............................................................... 93 c. Waiawa by Gentry Project................................................................ 93 d. Present and Potential KSBE Non-instream Uses ........................... 94 e. Golf Courses........................................................................................ 94 f. Landscaping ........................................................................................ 94 g. Effluent and Water Quality Concerns............................................. 95 h. Water Supply and Distribution ........................................................ 96 5. Department of Hawaiian Home Lands......................................................... 96 E. Public Trust Doctrine................................................................................................... 97 F. Water Resources and Geology.................................................................................... 97 1. Geology ............................................................................................................. 97 2. Hydrology......................................................................................................... 98 3. Sustainable Yield ............................................................................................. 99 4. Recharge......................................................................................................... 101 ii 5. Windward Area Stream Flow...................................................................... 104 6. Quantity of Water for Windward Uses ...................................................... 107 G. Reclaimed Water ........................................................................................................ 108 1. Wastewater Treatment Methods................................................................. 108 2. Guidelines for Reuse ..................................................................................... 109 3. Agency Responsibilities and Concerns ....................................................... 111