Dept. of Land and Natural Resources prepares for Lala by clearing stream channels, ensuring dam safety
With Tropical Storm Lala on approach and a hurricane watch in effect for Hawaiʻi Island and surrounding waters, the Department of Land and Natural Resources is working to prepare communities across the state for severe weather.
Stream Channel Clearings
This week, DLNR’s land maintenance teams and land agents have been conducting site inspections of various streams. Land Division staff coordinated with the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation to clear the stream and trees in Mānoa Valley. They also met with HDOT and the City and County of Honolulu in Waiawa. A contractor will be on-site on Friday to start clearing the stream from the watercress farm. The footbridge/bike path area was cleared of debris on Thursday, and the contractor will check the post-storm conditions on Monday.
Dam Safety
At this time, DLNR Flood Risk Management Section has no dam safety concerns or dangers to report, according to department officials.
DLNR has been working with dam owners to get dam equipment operations tested (e.g., inlet works gates, outlet works valves, etc.), ensure spillways and outlet works are clear, identify deficiencies and, in some cases, establish interim water level restrictions in reservoirs.
Regulated dam owners statewide have been notified to prepare and review their emergency action plans and prepare response resources (e.g., contractors, equipment rentals, etc.).
In accordance with established Dam Safety Emergency Action Plans, dam owners are to inspect their facilities and notify DLNR and county emergency management agencies of any issues that may arise.
Dam Evacuation Zone Map Viewer
The DLNR Dam Evacuation Zones website is a tool residents and businesses can use to learn if they are in a dam evacuation area and which dams they need to know about. Simply type in the property address or tax map key (TMK) number and the site will take users to a map that provides important information. See:
Do I Live in a Dam Evacuation Zone?
Useful storm preparation information is available on the DLNR’s Waihalana blog. See:
Emergency Management Agency Contacts
Know Your Flood Risks
Residents and businesses are also encouraged to know their flood risks by using the DLNR Flood Hazard Assessment Tool to see maps of special flood hazard areas from the Federal Emergency Management Agency: https://FHAT.hawaii.gov
Monitor Real-Time Stream Conditions
In partnership with the DLNR Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) and other state and county agencies, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) provides publicly accessible, near-real-time data on stream level discharge at 88 monitoring locations across the five main Hawaiian Islands through its Water Data for the Nation website: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/state/hawaii
To check current conditions:
- Zoom in to the island and click the gauge location you wish to view.
- Note any locations with a red exclamation point which alerts users to “! Extreme conditions.”
- A color code legend and other information appear below providing users with details they need.
Stream gauges throughout the islands are generally updated every 15 minutes and can provide useful information as conditions change. The public can use stream gauge data as a situational awareness tool but should not use it as the sole basis for safety decisions. Because conditions can change rapidly between updates and gauges can be damaged by severe weather, the public should continue to follow official warnings and alerts from the National Weather Service, Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, as well as county emergency management agencies – and use their own judgment when conditions appear unsafe.
For those who wish to receive notifications, the USGS also offers WaterAlert, a free service that sends text or e-mail updates when water levels at selected gauges reach user-defined thresholds: https://accounts.waterdata.usgs.gov/wateralert
Unauthorized stream channel alterations
CWRM also reminds landowners and operators that unauthorized stream channel alterations, particularly work involving heavy machinery, can divert flood waters onto neighboring properties.
Anyone who needs to perform substantial stream channel work, or stream channel work using heavy machinery in response to an emergency, should follow the commission’s emergency authorization procedures. Emergency work must be limited to the minimum necessary to address an immediate threat to health or safety or prevent immediate or further property damage.
For more information on the emergency authorization process and stream channel maintenance responsibilities for each county, visit the commission’s website at:
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