US Senate passes bill to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s disaster resilience, West Maui watershed

The US Senate has passed the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act, which includes several provisions secured by US Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz.

The provisions are aimed at benefiting Hawaiʻi’s communities and strengthening the state’s disaster resilience. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Army, through the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, to conduct studies, construct projects and research activities to improve US waterways. The bill advances to President Joe Biden’s desk for final action.

“The Water Resources Development Act is crucial legislation to strengthen our country’s water conservation efforts and improve waterways. This year’s bill includes several provisions that will benefit Hawaii’s communities, including projects to expand access to resources for remote communities, reduce flood and storm damages across the state, and support Maui as they continue to recover after the wildfires,” Senators Hirono and Schatz said in a joint statement. “We’re proud to have helped secure these provisions and will continue fighting to ensure that Hawaii has the federal support necessary to enhance our waterway infrastructure and improve disaster resilience efforts.”

For Maui, the bill:

• Prioritizes watersheds of the island of Maui, including Wahikuli, Honokowai, Kahana, Honokahua and Honolua, as well as the coral reef habitat north of Lahaina, in watershed and river basin assessments recommending construction or modification of water resources development projects.
• Creates a new project to conduct a feasibility study for flood risk management and ecosystem restoration in Maui County.
• Carries out a post-disaster watershed assessment for areas impacted by the August 2023 wildfires on Maui.

The legislation that is passed every two years enables the US Army Corps of Engineers to carry out activities related to the conservation and development of water and related resources, such as flood control, navigation and ecosystem restoration.  

In October 2023, Senator Hirono and Senator Schatz sent a letter to leadership of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works requesting the inclusion of several provisions that would benefit Hawaii’s communities. Ten of those provisions were included in the final bill, including:

Expanding Access to Resources

• Hawaiʻi added to the “Pacific Region” to allow the Army Corps to partner with stakeholders on a broader range of projects, including cultural resources preservation and environmental restoration.
• Expands eligibility for coastal communities whose longevity is linked to harbor accessibility. This change would also allow for greater consideration of cultural, social, and ecosystem benefits to the local community in cost-benefit analyses.
• Creates an avenue for remote, coastal areas to include comprehensive cultural, social and ecosystem benefits in cost-benefit analyses for small hurricane and storm damage reduction projects. This addition would also allow remote, coastal communities to qualify for projects based on increased area costs, remote location, or the relationship between project success and long-term community viability.

Strengthening Disaster Resilience

• Honolulu deep-draft harbor funding modifications: Amends the current study to expand its scope, including to consider disaster resilience and enhanced national security from utilization of the harbor by the Department of Defense.
• Laupahoehoe Harbor breakwater: Expedites the completion of the repairs of the damaged seawall at Laupahoehoe Harbor.
• Flood and coastal risk management study for Kauaʻi County: Authorizes a new project to conduct a feasibility study for flood risk management and coastal storm risk management in Kauaʻi County.
• Hanapepe levee assessment expanded authority: Modifies the current Hanapepe levee project to evaluate sources of flooding and propose engineering and non-structural solutions to reduce flood damages in the Hanapepe River watershed.
• Waimea levee assessment expanded authority: Modifies the current Waimea project to evaluate sources of flooding in the Waimea River watershed and investigate modifications to existing Waimea River levees on the southwest coast of Kauaʻi.
• Kuliouou stream flood risk management: Authorizes a new project to conduct a feasibility study for flood risk management in Hawaiʻi Kai.