Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-29
DlvERTING THE WAIKIKI BEACH
STREAM

Honolulu, March 90, 1917.
Editor Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Sir: Win you be so kind as TO pub
lfsh the following letter in your issue
OF the Star-BulIetin this afternoon.
! There has been considerable pub
lished in the papers the past few days
| in regard TO diverting the waters
! which now reach the ocean between
the Moana Hotel and the Outrigger
! Club. A bill. believe, is TO come be-
fore the house providing for an appro-
| priation of $4,000 to be used in the
diverting OF these waters.
1t has been suggested that the wa
tiers be diverted to the stream which
meets the ocean near Makee Island.
This has been opposed and it has been
suggested that they be diverted to the
Kalia stream.
Not long ago the superintendent oil
public works suggested a reclamation
project for the purpose Of retaining
the swamps and duck ponds on the
mauka side of the Waikiki road. A
public hearing was held and at that
time the point was raised that unless
due provision was made to carry off
the storm waters there would be dan
ger OF creating an unsanitary swamp
back Of the fill which was then pro-
posed. The plan was temporarily
abandoned and the superintendent of
public works was to prepare a COM
prehensive scheme of reclamation of
the whole district providing for water
and sewer facilities and for proper
drainage
To properly understand the problem
one must realize the vast territory
whose storm waters are carried off at
the present time by the three streams,
the Makee Island stream, the stream
by the Moana Hotel and the Kalia
stream.
The writer has lived the greater
part OF his life in the section drained
by the streams above mentioned and
as boy swan and caught fish in the
streams and ponds between Kalakaua
avenue and Diamond Head. In those
days the water was clear and there
We're no large muddy swamps. The
land was partly overgrown with bull
rushes and the streams were open and
carried the water off to the sea quick
ly. There were at that time numerous
channels carrying water to the ocean,
one flowing into the ocean about
where Piikoi street, il extended, would
reach the ocean. This carried the
storm waters of the Punchbowl and
portion of the hEakiki districts There !,
was another stream reaching the
ocean between this and the present
Kalia stream and there was also one
reaching the ocean between the Kalia
stream and the stream by the Moana
Hotel. When the heavy rains caused
large freshets these numerous outlets
carried the water to the sea quickly
so that what is now the swampy land
was soon drained. go X. - .-.s...
AS the city built up and the roads |
were graded the storm waters from
Punehbowl crater slopes and from a
portion of Makiki were diverted by a
ditch into the Makiki stream and later
the stream between the Moana Hotel
and Kalia was closed up.
l realize that at times the muddy
storm waters which flow through the |
present stream fill the ocean with |
debris from above, which naturally
makes 1t disagreeable for bathers, and |
1t certainly would be advisable If this |
could be remedied, but I wish to lodge |
q protest against any hasty. ill-consid- |
cred scheme of closing the stream in |
question in order to do away with a |
temporary inconvenience to the bath |
ers, when such change may cause |
lasting damage to the large and valu- |
able area of property above and may |
mean future unnecessary drainage |
work which will cause the territory or |
property owners thousands of dollars. |
1t is not often that we have Is inches |
of rainfall in Is hours, but a fell of |
six or eight inches is not uncommon |
and with fewer outlets to the ocean |
the inundation of the property above |
Kalakaua avenue will be much greater |
and will last much longer.
AS an evidence of the damaging re. I
suits of ill-considered engineering |
plans for the drainage of the mountain |
waters, the residence in the vicinity |
of the Makiki, fire station can bear |
eloquent testimony, and large mum.
Der of residents in the College Hills |
and Manoa districts are ready to bear
eloquent and possibly profane testi-
mony in regard to the insufficient and /
poorly considered plans for the proper
drainage Of storm waters in Manoa
valley.
Year after year the flume carrying /
the storm waters from Punchbowl and |
Makiki, through the ditch to the MAXI |
XII stream, has either oyerflowed or |
been carried away. There is a ditch |
running above the Makiki fire station /
across to. the Makiki stream. The |
grade Of this ditch Is very slight and I
the capacity Of the ditch is entirely /
insufficient to take care of the over.
flow waters from even a moderate
storm. Thousands of dollars worth OF |
damage has been done in the past to
the property owners and to the gov
eminent roada in This eanfior ma mn