KRCA Annual Homeowners Meeting
Date: TBA
Anaina Hou - Porter Pavillion

KRCA has contracted with Hawaiiana Management Company who has a Kalihiwai Ridge website access code of:
hmcmgt.com/39484

Agendas and meeting minutes will be posted on this new site along with all our documents that can now be reviewed by the public.




My Impressions

To follow up on the March Newsletter (ending with not having the money) we are 4 months into this new direction of KRCA and the EHs having submitted a permit by DLNR’s deadline of May 1st to remove the KR dam by putting a notch in the center of it so no more than 2M gallons could ever be held in the bottom of the lakebed.  This means there would be no thriving wetland habitat for the endangered birds, no recreational lake for the community to enjoy, no water or fire suppression for the EHs, the Namahana School going in next to the dog park, or for the Anaina Hou structures, and finally no ag water for nonprofit (2015) Kilauea Community Ag Center (AHK) that was relying on this water source for the completion of their 75 acre farm to function.



It is this last point that has raised a new possibility for a nonprofit/public partnership to provide the funding necessary to remediate the dam (estimated $5-6M) vs remove the dam by the KRCA and EHs at an est cost of $1,680,000.  The state legislative session for 2023 could possibly consider approving infrastructure funding for the KR headed by Kaua`i North shore Rep Nadine Nakamura as well as private fund raising efforts could be initiated this year by soft~surf rock singer Donavon Frankenreiter to help secure the shortfall for remediation.  Then the AHK could take on the KR as a new owner to maintain and operate the KR when finished or before, with some help from the Lake Front Lot Owners for insurance, mowing and tree removal as needed if the KRCA were to then dissolve as a 181 member HOA and no longer have assessment fees or liability of owning a reservoir.  

To support the concept of sustainable food security requires water.  Without the water Ag cannot thrive and expand.  In historic times the Ahupua`a land management system required from the mountain to the sea support be given for these districts to be sustainable, which creates a modern opportunity for the old to support the new here in the Kalihiwai Ahupua`a.  The KR and AHK could come under one umbrella to have a water storage facility support downstream Ag to feed the Kilauea community for generations to come.  This restored reservoir lake could then also provide recreation to the community for fishing, boating, paddle boarding and kayaking, as well as a destination for bird watching and dog walking as has been historically available in the past.

I am hopeful this new vision could be achieved and that there could be a removal permitting pause with DLNR for this next year to see if a new path could be followed to get the funds necessary to remediate the KR instead to serve our downstream community, restoring these connections as were evident for 100 years.

Until we meet again.

Aloha,
Maggie Lea