Bill > SCR90

This joint resolution requests the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC), a state entity established in 1994 to support agricultural enterprises, to assume responsibility for maintaining and repairing the Kohala Ditch, a 26-mile long irrigation system on Hawaii's Big Island originally built in 1906 to support sugarcane plantations. The resolution highlights the ditch's critical importance to local farmers and ranchers, who currently rely on it to supply over five million gallons of water daily, and notes that a 2021 rockslide damaged a critical flume, disrupting water supply and forcing farmers to pay significantly higher rates for county water. The resolution urges the ADC to develop a comprehensive maintenance plan involving community stakeholders, conduct regular inspections, and submit annual reports to the Legislature detailing maintenance activities, expenditures, the ditch's condition, and recommendations for improvements. The ultimate goal is to preserve agricultural production, support local food resilience, and help farmers maintain their livelihoods by ensuring reliable water infrastructure.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Business and Industry

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SCR&billnumber=90&year=2025