Koloa residents concerned about wetland habitat loss want to know why the southern portion of Waikomo Stream has dried up for the first time in memory. The last half mile of a winding stream that dumps into Whalers Cove, a
Koloa residents concerned about wetland habitat loss want to know why the southern portion of Waikomo Stream has dried up for the first time in memory.
The last half mile of a winding stream that dumps into Whalers Cove, a local snorkeling hot spot on the South Shore, has recently transformed into a barren wasteland.
“I don’t ever remember it being bone dry,” said Penny Osuga, who was born and raised in Koloa. “It would work it’s way down to a trickle, enough to keep the fish and prawns alive, … but now it’s just dust.”
Local residents such as Garen and Susan McCune tried in vain to save the aquatic life as long as possible by hosing down rapidly evaporating areas.
Those efforts proved futile as fish flopped to their deaths, Osuga said.
Rare bird species have started to flock elsewhere and idle pools of water are presenting new problems, Koloa resident Luca Rostagno said yesterday.
“Without a constant flow, the stagnant water is sitting inside lava rock depressions, giving a great opportunity for the local population of unwanted mosquitoes to multiply out of control,” Rostagno stated in a letter to The Garden Island. “Basically, we were forced to trade fish, birds, frogs and prawns for mosquitoes and who knows what other harmful bacterial.”
In addition to wildlife losses, residents said they fear an increased fire threat and the risk of a flash flood sweeping dirt into the cove.
“The natural erosion-controlling vegetation along the stream is totally dried out. If a flash flood condition should happen right now, tons of dirt would be washed out to the ocean into Whalers Cove,” Rostagno continued.
Drought-like conditions and careless acts have caused a rash of brush fires on Kaua‘i, scorching more than 300 acres in the last month.
Vegetation along the southern portion of Waikomo Stream has changed from green to brown — ideal for a dangerous fire, Rostagno said.
Residents speculate a combination of factors in addition to low rainfall, including irrigation diversions for constructing new developments and watering a nearby golf course, have contributed to a critical portion of the stream drying up.
The Kiahuna Golf Club, McCune said, marked the point last week where water stopped flowing downstream. On a walk along the stream bed Thursday, he said the water stopped even farther north.
Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources aquatics biologist Don Heacock said he has received calls from residents concerned about Waikomo Stream and plans to investigate.
“We still have landowners both large and small that believe that the water is theirs. It isn’t,” Heacock said. “That water belongs to everyone.”
He witnessed a substantial vertical elevation drop in a Niumalu stream, but within 24 hours it had returned to normal levels.
“Landowners have been diverting water from one stream to another for a long time here. They’re no longer growing sugar … they’re growing houses,” Heacock said.
The biologist said it is illegal to divert water for irrigation if it is done to the point where it dries up streams.
The state Commission on Water Resource Management, which issues permits for water uses and enforces the state water code, could not be reached for comment by press time.
“A lot of us have reached our limit with tolerance to what’s going on,” Osuga said. “We’re just trying to get some answers.”
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com.
