State of Hawaii Takes Control of Century-Old Dam After Flood Evacuation Crisis

Hawaii's state land board voted to acquire a 120-year-old dam from Dole Food Co. after it nearly failed during recent flooding that forced 5,500 residents to evacuate. The state plans to invest at least $20 million in repairs to the aging structure, which is classified as 'high hazard' due to potential fatal consequences if it fails.

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii officials have moved to take control of a century-old dam that sparked widespread evacuations last week when flood waters brought the deteriorating structure dangerously close to catastrophic failure.

State land board members approved the acquisition of property parcels from Dole Food Co. on Friday, paving the way for Hawaii to assume responsibility for the troubled dam and fund necessary improvements estimated at $20 million or more, including spillway expansion work.

Originally constructed in 1906 to support sugar operations for Waialua Agricultural Co., which later became part of Dole Food Co., the earthen dam was rebuilt after it collapsed in 1921.

State Department of Land and Natural Resources officials classified the Wahiawa Dam, located north of Honolulu, as “high hazard” due to the likelihood of deadly outcomes should the structure fail, according to documents supporting the acquisition.

Community members like Kathleen Pahinui live with constant anxiety about potential dam failure whenever significant rainfall occurs. Pahinui was among 5,500 residents forced to flee two North Shore communities famous for surfing last week, with evacuation orders remaining in effect until Saturday when flood waters subsided.

The transition to state ownership has received broad backing from the governor’s administration, legislative leaders, local residents, and agricultural interests, making Friday’s decision an expected but welcomed outcome, Pahinui noted prior to the vote.

As a neighborhood board chairperson, Pahinui provided written support for the proposal. Board members also received input from agricultural representatives emphasizing the dam’s critical role in crop irrigation and community members urging swift action.

While state control will provide significant peace of mind for area residents, Pahinui emphasized that the community will closely monitor progress to ensure promised repairs and upgrades are completed.

Recent storm conditions caused rapid water level increases, compounded by ground already saturated from previous heavy rainfall events.

Governor Josh Green estimated total storm damages could exceed $1 billion, affecting aviation facilities, educational institutions, transportation infrastructure, residential properties, and a Maui medical center. Green described it as Hawaii’s worst flooding disaster since 2004.

Recovery efforts from dense mud infiltration in homes and destructive flood waters that displaced buildings and vehicles may require years to complete, according to Pahinui.

State regulators have issued four deficiency notifications to Dole regarding the dam since 2009, including a $20,000 penalty five years ago for delays in addressing safety concerns, official records show.

Dole’s Chief Legal Officer Jared Gale addressed the land board Friday, explaining that penalties resulted from late paperwork submissions rather than maintenance issues. He stated that Dole has provided “very well” maintained the dam and spillway systems throughout their ownership period.

Under the proposed arrangement, Dole would transfer the dam, water reservoir, and irrigation infrastructure to state ownership in return for commitments to upgrade the spillway to current safety requirements and maintain those standards.

Before the vote, board member Wesley “Kaiwi” Yoon voiced concerns about the agreement, questioning the state’s financial capacity and referencing Dole’s problematic colonial-era legacy.

“If the state is going to endure this and partner with Dole, who again has a checkered past and issue with its Native community and what it’s done to aina over time, it’s very difficult to be so nonchalant about this issue,” Yoon stated, incorporating the Hawaiian term for “land.”

Yoon cast the sole dissenting vote against the land transfer.

Dole consultant Trisha Kehaulani Watson-Sproat, speaking as a Native Hawaiian who was raised in the dam’s vicinity, endorsed state acquisition as the “best way forward.” She warned that the alternative would involve Dole dismantling the dam entirely.

“I call it the decolonizing of this watershed system,” Watson-Sproat told board members.