A rather simple plan to establish East Kaua‘i’s first public freshwater fishing site at a reservoir has morphed into a full-blown environmental-education idea. After Wade Ishikawa, information specialist with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic
A rather simple plan to establish East Kaua‘i’s first public freshwater fishing site at a reservoir has morphed into a full-blown environmental-education idea.
After Wade Ishikawa, information specialist with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources, took members of the DLNR and Board of Land and Natural Resources to visit Wailua Reservoir, they realized they had an opportunity to create much more than simply a public-fishing area, Ishikawa said.
The idea now is to establish the public-fishing area, but to create an environmental-education center similar to the Koke‘e Discovery Center, Ishikawa said.
The idea is to give students the chance to learn about outdoor education, conservation, and other matters, in the classroom setting of the reservoir already stocked with largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, tilapia and tucanare.
In order to have an interesting fishing-education program, you have to have fish to catch, said Ishikawa.
The Wailua area already has hunting areas, and places for biking and hiking, lacking only the fishing and education components to allow residents of East Kaua‘i opportunities similar to those in Koke‘e, he said.
The plan is a work in progress, and will be further shaped after public comments are gathered at a public meeting set for Tuesday, May 18 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Ali‘i Room of the Aloha Beach Resort in Wailua.
“It’s a great idea,” and has been conceptually approved by members of the BLNR, said Peter Young, chair of both DLNR and BLNR.
“I know we want to do things as soon as possible,” but the public-input component will go a long way in determining how soon that is, Young said.
For years, Kaua‘i parents have brought their children to an educational center in Koke‘e State Park that has stressed environmental awareness and conservation.
DLNR officials are now looking at building a similar facility by the Wailua Reservoir to benefit students in Kawaihau District, the largest population center on Kaua‘i.
Wailua Reservoir and adjacent lands by the University of Hawai‘i’s Agricultural Experiment Station in Wailua would be used for the project, if it is developed.
“We would like to see what can be done to develop that potential with guidance from the community,” said Deborah Ward, DLNR public information officer. “We want to find out what people want to see there.”
DLNR officials plan to make a presentation on existing and potential recreational uses of the reservoir and nearby lands managed by the DLNR.
The new facility, if built, could save the state Department of Education money in the long run, Ishikawa believes.
Right now, DOE covers the cost of bus trips to the Koke‘e facility. With the Wailua facility in place, students won’t have to travel as far, Ishikawa said.
DLNR officials are proposing to work with leaders from the DOE on Kaua‘i to develop the facility.
The idea for the facility is conceptual, and no funding source has been identified at this time, Ward said.
Staff Writer Lester Chang may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net.
