State Seal

 

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

 

News Release

     LINDA LINGLE              

           GOVERNOR

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                              PETER T. YOUNG, CHAIRPERSON

                                                                                                                                              Phone: (808) 587-0401

                                                                                                                                              Fax: (808) 587-0390

                                                                                                                                             

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release: April 5, 2006

  

Statewide Dam Safety Inspections

A Memorandum of Agreement and Support Agreement (SA) are being executed between DLNR and the Army Corps of Engineers to expand dam safety inspections statewide.

DLNR and the Army Corps of Engineers have scheduled the remainder of the statewide dam inspections from April 3-8 on Maui, Molokai, Hawaii and Oahu.

DLNR and Army Corps of Engineers to provide 6 teams:

Maui: 5 days total – Monday through Friday (April 3-7)
4 teams on island for inspections
   
Oahu: 3 days total – Monday through Wednesday (April 3-5)
2 teams on island for inspections
   
Hawaii: 3 days total – Thursday through Saturday (upon completion of Oahu, the two teams will fly to the Big Island) (April 6-8)

2 teams on island for inspections
   
Molokai 1 day – Saturday (April 8)
1 team on island for inspections

DLNR-Engineering, DLNR-Forestry and Wildlife, and Department of Agriculture (DofAg) staff will provide assistance with inspections.

Maui EOC will be at DLNR Annex Building, Kahului; Hawaii EOC will be at DofAg Waimea Office and Oahu EOC will be at DLNR Engineering Division.

All dam owners have been notified of the above schedule and will provide access accordingly. DOFAW, DofAg and Engineering staff will provide ground transportation and support to the Army Corps Dam Inspection Teams.

Dams in Hawaii

There are 133 reservoirs in DLNR’s Hawaii Inventory of Dams. A majority of reservoirs and dams are on neighbor islands: Kauai has 53 (there are actually 54 dams on Kauai) (13 State-owned/40 privately-owned), Oahu has 16 (1 State-owned/15 privately-owned), Maui/Molokai/Lanai have 51 (1 State-owned/50 privately-owned) and Hawaii has 13 (4 State-owned/9 privately-owned).

Only dams of a certain size (height and volume) criteria are regulated under the Hawaii program. Generally, regulated dams have a dam height over 25 feet and impound more than 5 million gallons of water (some exceptions apply).