KRCA Homeowners
Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
6:00 9:00 pm
Kilauea Neighborhood Center
Kalihiwai Ridge homeowners can find official minutes to KRCA Board of Directors meetings by setting up their own Account Log In at www.associaonline.com. They can assist you in getting your 7 digit homeowner number. After you have that you will then need to set up a User Name and Password. You can also set up having the Agenda to these meetings sent to you by e-mail the day before the meetings are held every other month.
My Impressions
The meeting begins with the same dozen neighbors attending and the board opening for business. It was an evening where things stalled and it felt like a relapse of sorts with DLNR requiring yet even higher standards in figuring our PMF event data we must use to design our spillway. I can't even imagine where this will lead us in terms of how much water will be allowed left in our already very small 40-50 MG lake when at full pool. We have so little water for this engineered solution of how to store it safely I must admit I have lost perspective on what could be considered normal anymore.
We are being asked to bring a hundred year old earthen structure up to 21st Century standards for what amounts to be a 1% chance of having 49 inches of rainfall here in 24 hours go down what will be potentially one of the widest spillways in Hawai`i into the Kalihiwai River and out to sea nearly three miles away. In the last 100 years of recorded rainfall only one storm came close in 1956 with 22 inches falling here in 24 hours, not even close to 49 inches. I know this is the standard we must follow, but it makes one pause at the thought we might have already reached our limit of what is doable and now maybe even more is required?
Isn't that the way of life. You face one thing down and then another pops up. It can be relentless sometimes. Then there is the access road to the lake. For a dozen years we have been talking about this road. For nearly 8 years I believe we have had money budgeted to fix it properly. We have a contractor KRCA President who is very familiar with what needs to be done and others with opinions and concerns of their own. Now we must face these issues seriously and resolve whatever comes up in hopes the work can finally commence this dry summer season. I for one will be thrilled to see a safe year round access and hope to finally see a properly graveled drive into our common area that will fix the century's old mud hole at its entrance once and for all.
Two new benches have replaced the four chairs on the dam crest for member use. It is great to go out and enjoy the lake and mountain views early morning or at sunset when the Nene fly in for the evening. A time to just be in peace and beauty and imagine someday when our wider spillway will be turned into a park like setting where we can sit and all see the ocean to the North and watch the sun set on Hanalei to the West. I hope more of our members will come out and enjoy this common area and someday the expanded viewing of Kalihiwai Ridge...
Until we meet again.
Aloha,
Maggie Lea
Suggested Readings: Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation in Hawai`i: 2012 Reference: Commission on Water Resource Management Click here to download PDF file Koamalu Volumes 1&2 by Ethel M Damon, 1931 A story of pioneers on Kauai and of what they built in that island garden Sugar Water by Carol Wilcox 1996 Hawaiian & English definitions from the book: wai - water, blood, passion, life wai wai - wealth pani wai - dam water - transparent, odorless, tasteless, liquid, H2O Wetland habitat non-invasive plant suggestions: bacopa, makaloa, carex, aka 'akai, neke kupukupu, laua'e Links: Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge www.fws.gov/hanalei Kauai Forest Birds Recovery Project www.kauaiforestbirds.org Sounds Hawaiian www.soundshawaiian.com/birds National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org Kalihiwai Reservoir is a Certified Wildlife Habitat Ducks Unlimited www.ducksunlimited.com Fishing Notes www.fishingnotes.com Hawaii Audubon Society www.hawaiiaudubon.com Sierra Club Hawaii www.sierraclubhawaii.com Sufi at the helm of Moe Moku |