Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 8, 1 August 2008 — Water kuleana [ARTICLE]

Water kuleana

Mahalo to the Maui County Department of Water Supply for hosting the West Maui Water Advisory committee on Iuly 16. I really appreciated the inclusive way that the meeting was facilitated. The 20-year Water Master plan for Maui is the most important plan that we ean work on. It doesn't matter what gets approved where if there is no water. The state water code recognizes that Hawai'i waters are held for the benefit of Hawai'i citizens, who are beneficiaries and have a right to have the waters protected for their use. The water code does not abridge or deny the traditional and customary rights of ahupua'a tenants who are descendants of Native Hawaiians. These rights include the cultivation and propagation of kalo on one's own kuleana land, the gathering of hlhlwai, 'ōpae, 'o 'opu, limu, ti, thatch, aho cord and medicinal plants for subsistence, cultural and religious purposes. I would like to see riparian rights (the right of a landowner on the bank of a watercourse relating to the use and ownership of stream water) restored to all kuleana tenants within the next 20 years. The Kuleana Act recognizes that landowners have a right to use water flowing on their land WITHOUT PREIUDICING others' riparian rights to the natural

flow of the watercourse. So I will definitely be on the lookout for the Department of Water Supply's next meeting as I believe Maui's water future will depend on input given from the loeal coimnunity that attends these meetings. I encourage all concerned about the future of water (or laek thereof) on Maui to attend committee meetings held in your district. Tamara Paltin Lahaina. Maui