The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-05-03

U0fNN MNNnfI Uf INWHaNtNAf'" NJ hfNHt
all or the most ~ this plateau woull
be- suitable for the cultivation of slaai
The land II ~ much better quall,l
than that In the vicinity of slsal OF
the Island OF oahu. The rainfall II
this portion of Lanai is also muci
higher than In the district OF oah,
where risal II now being cultivated
A further advantage lies In the fac
that there IL no rock and the land 4
free from kolu. iantana and othci
noxious shrubs.
"a considerable strip Of land below
the pail which divides the bench from
the basin. is suitable for agricultural
purposes and would be worth consld.
erable more than the average price OF
the whole body. and would compensate
for areas worth less, In striking an
average valuation.
Second Class Grazing Land. Under
this division would fall almost the
whole OF Kamao and the makai por-
tions OF Kealiaapuni. Kaunolu, Kalulu
and Kamoku on the kona side Of the
island: also on the windward side OF
the island probably the whole of Paa-
will, Kaunolu. Mahana and Paomai,
although we examined only n portion
II
Mahana. All OF this country is good
grazing land The makai portions OF
the Kona government lands have the
heaviest growth OF pill grass that I
have seen anywhere In the islands.
There are probably 5000 acres Of
second -class agricultural and first
class grazing land on the portion Of
the island which we did not see. The
second-class grazing land, approxi-
mately 10000 acres, would certainly be
worth 81 per acre, averaging good and
bad
,"Recapituation. The government
| land on the Island of Lanai consists
of about 10000 acres of second-class
pastoral and waste land worth 81 per
acre, $50, 900; 1900 acres of first-class
grazing and second-class agricultural
land worth SIS per acre, $lS0,000; 1900
acres of first-class agricultural land
forth s35 per acre, $52,50O, a total of
s262,5OO.
1.-THE Watershed. The main water
shed of the Islands is about four miles
in length, extending northwest to
southeast. The ridge is a continuous
one unbroken by passes and Is quite
precipitous on either side. The high
est point it has an approximate eleva-
ton of 3400 feet. Mapnalei Gulch.
which contains the only living water
on the island, rises directly north of
the highest point of the ranges. An
other deep gulch rises from the north
slnna Of Haalele. The deepest gulches
are all to the windward and appear to
have been of volcanic origin while
those on the kona side of the range
show erosion and appear to have been
formed by water action. 1 estimate
the watershed as about 5000 acres,
over 1000 of which are included in the
government lands. l noted that clouds
covered the mountain in the vicinity
of Puualii, the greater portion Of the
two days that we were on the island.
The rainfall on the portion of the
range between Haalele and Puunene,
probably averages more than double
the rainfall at Kalele, the ranch house
quarters. Assuming that there are
1000 acres of government land on this
mountain watershed and that the
rainfall is so inches per annum, $780,
900, 900 gallons of water are annually
precipitated. 1 was informed that the
stream flow in Maunalei gulch AMOUNTS
to 80 gallons per minute at the loca-
| tion of Mr.. Gays pump in the upper
portion of the valley. In addition the
rainfall of the watershed on Kealia-
kapu, Palawai and Kaohai, probably
amounts to 90 per cent as much as the
rainfall on the government land.
II would say that the possession or
ownership of this watershed or noun
tain range on the Island of Lanai, is
absolutely essential to any form of
agriculture on the island.
Previous to the land exchange con-
summated in December, 1906, the Gov
ernment owned two-thirds of the whole
watershed including the whole of that
portion where the only living stream
of water on the island originates. This
watershed is the key to the whole is-.
land; its ownership by private land
ownership on the island at the mercy
of the owner of the watershed. Look
| ing at the question of ownership from
private standpoint its possession
would be worth any sum which a man
could afford to pay.
From my knowledge of the value
of water here in Hawaii, 1 would place
the valuation of the government lands
on the principal watershed of Lanai
as cheap at 100000. The mere fact
'idt Only lHt tTuuesl water QeNelOp-
ment has been undertaken, bears no
| relation whatever to the actual present
or prospective value of the government
lands.
This valuation OF the main water
shed OF the island. added to that of
the agricultural and grazing lands as
previously itemized, would make the
government lands on the Island of La
| mai. worth approximately s360,000.
Without access to the watershed
none of the lower lands can be divided
up for closer settlement. The con-
servation OF l per cent. of the total
rainfall on this mountain range would
give an annual supply OF about 49,
100000 gallons of water available for
agricultural and domestic purposes. 1t
may be too optimistic to say that 1
per cent. OF the total rainfall is cap
able of conservation but / hold this
out as an illustration OF what might
be done towards the development OF
the water resources of this island a
development which would not require
consideration OF the elevation of any
portion of this water by mechanical
means.
"As to the number of families which
the government lands on the Island OF
| Lanai would support l would saw that