A community-driven effort to modernize and preserve the Kalihiwai Reservoir — restoring watershed resilience from ridge to reef before this century-old resource is permanently lost.
Wai ola — water is life.
Mauka to Makai is a proposed 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to assume stewardship of the Kalihiwai Reservoir, relieve current owners of regulatory liability, unlock state and federal grant funding, and modernize the dam to meet current safety standards — transitioning this resource into a professionally managed community asset built for the next hundred years.
The Kalihiwai Reservoir (State Dam ID: KA-0024, National ID: HI00024) is a 20-foot-high, 950-foot-long earthen dam completed in 1920 to support the Kīlauea Sugar Company's irrigation operations, with a maximum storage capacity of 79 million gallons (242 acre-feet) across a 205-acre drainage area. For over a century, it has served as a vital freshwater resource, waterbird habitat, and community landmark on Kaua'i's North Shore.
Across the North Shore, mauka access — the ability for communities to reach the mountains, streams, and upland resources that have sustained life here for centuries — has steadily diminished as private development has expanded into formerly open lands. The Kalihiwai Reservoir is one of the last remaining community-accessible freshwater resources in this watershed. Its preservation is not just about one body of water — it's about maintaining the connection between mauka and makai that defines this place.
The dam is jointly owned by three parties: the Kalihiwai Ridge Community Association (KRCA) and two water easement holders, CG Utilities and Porter Irrigation, who split maintenance costs equally. The reservoir sits on Lot 3 — a 58-acre parcel designated at subdivision as a zero-density community amenity with no residential development rights. The current ownership structure — an HOA managing critical water infrastructure — places a significant financial responsibility on a small group of homeowners, and limits eligibility for the public grant programs designed to fund exactly this kind of work.
In 2013, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) issued the first Notice of Deficiency. By 2017, the community voted to repair the dam — but when engineering estimates came in at $6 to $10 million, the path forward was unclear. In 2021, the owners voted to pursue removal instead. A dam removal permit application was submitted in May 2022 and has been under multi-agency review since then, including by DLNR, the Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Forestry, the Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM), the State Historic Preservation Division, and the Kaua'i County Department of Engineering.
The DLNR's own Screening Level Risk Assessment classified the likelihood of failure as LOW — the deficiencies are real, but they are engineering problems with engineering solutions. AECOM's 2022 Phase 1 Inspection confirmed: "No immediate threat to the safety of the dam under normal loading conditions."
This is not a failing dam. It's an ownership structure that wasn't built for this responsibility.
Mauka to Makai was conceived to create a structure that is. By transitioning stewardship to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we unlock state and federal grant programs specifically designed for this situation — programs that didn't exist when the community voted for removal. This is a managed modernization effort — forward-looking, engineering-aware, and grounded in the understanding that the health of the mountain, the valley, and the sea are one.
Care for the water. Irreplaceable freshwater storage, pre-1987 water rights, and a watershed that sustains everything downstream.
Shared responsibility. The reservoir sits on land designated a zero-density community amenity from day one. Its future should be shaped by the community.
Not preservation for its own sake — structured compliance, engineering rigor, and climate-aligned rehabilitation that meets modern safety standards.
Public accountability through nonprofit governance, regulatory partnership, and honest stewardship of community resources.
The Kalihiwai Reservoir holds 79 million gallons of freshwater, supports endangered waterbirds, provides fire suppression and flood detention, and has been confirmed as historically significant by the state. Engineers confirm the dam's deficiencies are solvable. The problem isn't engineering — it's governance.
Since the owners voted for removal in 2021, two things have changed. The state created a $5 million grant fund specifically for private high-hazard dams. The federal government awarded Hawai'i $10.36 million for dam rehabilitation. Neither program existed when the decision was made. But to access them, the reservoir needs a nonprofit steward — an entity structured to receive grants, retain engineers, and manage infrastructure long-term.
That's what Mauka to Makai is building. A 501(c)(3) that can assume responsibility for the dam, apply for grants, retain engineers, and modernize the infrastructure to meet current safety standards — while relieving the current owners of a burden they were never structured to carry. The removal permit is pending. Once issued, the owners are required to begin demolition within six months.
The name Mauka to Makai comes from the Hawaiian understanding that everything is connected — the mountain rain feeds the valley stream, the stream feeds the taro, the taro feeds the people, and the water carries life all the way to the sea.
Where Nāmolokama's legendary rains are captured by native forests. The Pohakuhonu Stream originates here — the same stream whose diversion has fed the reservoir since 1920, carrying water from mountain to valley for over a century.
Where water was once guided through lo'i kalo and 'auwai in cascading systems — feeding food, families, and fisheries downstream.
The Kalihiwai Reservoir sits in the area known as Waihunahuna — wai, fresh water; huna, hidden or concealed. The name evokes water that is not only seen in streams and storage, but also felt in mist, seepage, and forest moisture — water dispersed yet life-giving.
Not just water you see, but water you sense.
Restoring this zone means reconnecting mountain water to downstream life — protecting not just the reservoir itself, but the broader hydrologic system it influences from mauka to makai.
Where fresh and salt water meet. The Kalihiwai River mouth was among the most productive fishing grounds on the North Shore. The health of the coast depends entirely on what happens upstream — from mauka to makai.
The ahupua'a was the fundamental unit of Hawaiian resource management — a land division running from mountain ridge to outer reef. Each ahupua'a contained everything a community needed: freshwater, farmland, forest, and ocean. It was managed not through ownership, but through kuleana — shared responsibility for the health of the whole system.
The Kalihiwai ahupua'a, in the Halele'a District of Kaua'i, was blessed with some of the most abundant rainfall on earth. The valley supported extensive taro cultivation and the river mouth hosted productive fisheries for generations. The reservoir, though built in the plantation era, occupies the same critical middle zone where water was always managed — the place where mountain and sea connect.
Mauka to Makai takes its name from this worldview. Our mission isn't simply to maintain infrastructure — it's to restore the living relationship between mountain, valley, and ocean. To manage the reservoir not as a liability to be demolished, but as one part of a watershed system that can sustain this community for another century and beyond.
The Kalihiwai Reservoir isn't just infrastructure to be maintained — it's a canvas for what this community can build together. Here's what preservation makes possible.
A responsibly managed reservoir providing flood attenuation, sediment control, groundwater recharge, and drought buffering — including strategic water storage for wildfire emergency response.
Restoration of traditional practices — lo'i kalo, 'auwai — as living demonstrations within the watershed. A place where Hawaiian cultural knowledge is practiced, not just remembered. Rooted in the ahupua'a, facing the future.
Preserved habitat for endangered Hawaiian waterbirds — koloa, 'alae ke'oke'o, ae'o — and the Hawaiian Hoary Bat ('Ōpe'ape'a), confirmed present by DOFAW. Removal would permanently eliminate the existing reservoir-based habitat.
Engineered spillway improvements, embankment integrity upgrades, and hydraulic capacity aligned with Hawai'i's updated Probable Maximum Precipitation standards. Modern dam safety and watershed stewardship can coexist.
An outdoor classroom for Kaua'i schools — connecting students with watershed science, Hawaiian cultural practices, and environmental stewardship. A gathering place where the community comes together through shared kuleana for something bigger than any one household.
Exploring the potential for loko i'a principles adapted to the freshwater reservoir environment — traditional Hawaiian aquaculture practices that produce food while maintaining ecological health and cultural connection to the land.
Proof that community-driven modernization works. A template for how Hawai'i's 87 privately owned, aging, high-hazard dams can transition from inherited private responsibility to grant-funded, professionally managed community infrastructure.
A 105-year-old earthen dam and freshwater reservoir in the heart of the Kalihiwai watershed. Currently used for irrigation, fire suppression, flood detention, wildlife habitat, and recreational fishing. Historically significant, ecologically vital, and permanently documented in the national public record.
Mason Architects determined the reservoir is historically significant under HAR § 13-284-6 — Criterion A (Kīlauea Sugar Company irrigation) and Criterion E (distinctive construction). The HAER documentation (HAER HI-174) was accepted by the National Park Service in March 2024 and transmitted to the Library of Congress as a permanent public record.
Historic PreservationDOFAW's October 2025 consultation confirmed the State-listed Hawaiian Hoary Bat ('Ōpe'ape'a, Lasiurus cinereus semotus) could potentially occur at the site. The reservoir also provides habitat for endangered Hawaiian waterbirds. Removal would permanently eliminate the existing reservoir-based habitat.
Endangered SpeciesThe Pohakuhonu Stream diversion that feeds the reservoir predates the State Water Code (1987) and was never registered with CWRM. If the dam is removed and the water is no longer used, CWRM has indicated the diversion may be deemed abandoned under the State Water Code — a determination that could permanently remove this water resource from community use.
Water RightsLot 3 (the Lake Lot, TMK (4) 5-2-022:003) was designated zero density during subdivision. The Kaua'i Planning Department confirmed (Condition 7, Preliminary Subdivision Approval) that no dwelling units were assigned — the developer originally envisioned it as a permanent community amenity for the association.
Land UseThe 2022 inspection by AECOM — one of the world's largest infrastructure firms — rated the dam POOR, with specific, addressable deficiencies:
Critically: AECOM found "no immediate threat to the safety of the dam under normal loading conditions."
The deficiencies aren't unknowns — they're a defined engineering scope:
Prior geotechnical investigations (2020) and rehabilitation design work (2021) provide the engineering foundation. Phase I funding commissions updated analyses aligned with new PMP standards.
The story of the Kalihiwai Reservoir — from construction to crisis to community mobilization — drawn entirely from official records, engineering reports, and government correspondence.
A 20-foot-high, 950-foot-long earthen dam is built for the Kīlauea Sugar Company, capturing water from the Pohakuhonu Stream diversion. The reservoir stores up to 79 million gallons (242 acre-feet) across a 205-acre drainage area — a critical piece of North Shore agricultural infrastructure.
When Kīlauea Sugar closes, the land becomes the Kalihiwai Ridge subdivision. The reservoir and dam transfer to the Kalihiwai Ridge Community Association (KRCA). Lot 3 (the Lake Lot) is designated as a zero-density community amenity with no residential development rights. Two water easement holders — CG Utilities and Porter Irrigation — share dam maintenance costs equally with the KRCA.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources issues a Notice of Deficiency (NOD) requiring corrective action by the three owners. This begins over a decade of studies, engineering work, and increasingly difficult decisions.
After years of watershed and soil studies, the KRCA votes to rehabilitate the dam. But final engineering costs aren't yet known.
During record-setting rainfall on Kaua'i's North Shore, the reservoir overtops the embankment by several inches — the second known overtopping (the first was in the 1970s). Emergency intervention removes the mid-level outlet gate structure to increase discharge capacity. The overtopping causes a slump in the downstream slope, prompting repairs and installation of erosion control matting. Two 24-inch HDPE pipes are later installed as temporary mid-level outlets. This event underscores the need for spillway upgrades and embankment stabilization.
Rehabilitation engineering plans come in at $6 to $10 million — far beyond what the three private owners can fund. The easement holders prefer demolition and stop paying their share (creating a ~$235,000 debt, later repaid). DLNR issues a second Notice of Deficiency with deadline. In December, the KRCA votes for dam removal as its "Preferred Solution."
The engineering firm designs the removal plan: a trapezoidal breach of the northern embankment (25-foot bottom width, 3H:1V slopes) lined with riprap. 7,630 cubic yards of cut and fill. Estimated construction cost: $1,551,100, plus ~$368,000 in engineering. Total project: approximately $1.92 million.
The permit undergoes review by DLNR, Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Forestry, CWRM, SHPD, and Kaua'i County Engineering. AECOM completes a comprehensive Phase 1 Inspection for DLNR (September 2022), rating the dam POOR but finding "no immediate threat under normal loading conditions" and defining the specific engineering scope needed for modernization. SHPD confirms historic significance and requires HAER documentation. Mason Architects completes the study. The National Park Service accepts it (HAER HI-174) and transmits it to the Library of Congress.
The Hawai'i Legislature passes Act 134 (2023), creating the $5 million DAIRG grant fund — specifically for privately owned, high-hazard dams in poor condition. The federal government awards Hawai'i $10.36 million under the HHPD Dam Rehabilitation Program. These programs did not exist when the owners voted for removal.
Community members are working to save the reservoir. The KRCA has signed a letter of intent supporting remediation, shared all engineering plans and studies, and provided access to the project engineers. Two hurdles remain before the removal permit can be issued: a possible Ka Pa'akai cultural assessment and a federal Army Corps jurisdictional determination. Once issued, the owners are required to begin demolition within six months. The window to act is now.
Kalihiwai Reservoir now stands at a structural inflection point: transition to nonprofit stewardship and modernize — or proceed with permanent removal under the current ownership model. The removal permit remains under review. Once issued, the owners are required to begin demolition within six months. This is a limited window to demonstrate capital commitment and regulatory readiness.
The owners chose demolition in 2021 because — under private ownership — they had no way to fund a $6–10 million rehabilitation. Three entities splitting the cost of modernizing century-old public infrastructure was never a sustainable model. But it's also a model that describes 71% of all regulated dams in Hawai'i.
The state's own dam safety program spent $1.68 million statewide in FY2025 — while overseeing 123 aging dams, 79 in poor condition. The $10.36 million federal HHPD grant awarded to Hawai'i has not yet been released by FEMA. The $5 million state DAIRG fund has not yet distributed grants. State and federal funding programs exist, but they require eligible ownership structures and organized project sponsors to put them to work.
That's the structural opportunity. Mauka to Makai is not just a preservation effort — it's a pilot model for how private, nonprofit, and community partnerships can step in where state funding gaps exist. A 501(c)(3) is the organizational vehicle that bridges compliance requirements with community stewardship, unlocking grant funding that is completely inaccessible to private HOA owners.
Mauka to Makai intends to operate in full partnership with DLNR Dam Safety, CWRM, DOFAW, SHPD, and Kaua'i County. All engineering work will be performed by licensed dam safety professionals in accordance with HRS §179D and updated PMP standards. This effort strengthens regulatory compliance — it does not bypass it. We are actively assembling a Founding Advisory Circle of engineers, cultural practitioners, legal counsel, and financial stewards to guide this transition.
Engineering estimate (May 2022). Excludes bonds, insurance, contractor profit, GET, environmental clearances, and cost escalation since 2022.
Reservoir gone forever. Water rights lost. Habitat destroyed. Historic resource demolished. Community amenity eliminated.
Higher cost — but who pays changes everything. Under private HOA ownership, three entities fund it alone. Under 501(c)(3) stewardship, the project becomes eligible for grant programs designed for exactly this situation:
→ DAIRG state grants ($5M fund, Act 134/2023)
→ Federal HHPD grants ($10.36M awarded to Hawai'i)
→ FEMA hazard mitigation (up to 75% cost share)
→ USDA watershed programs
→ Historic preservation funding
→ OHA, HCF, NFWF competitive grants
→ Tax-deductible community donations
Rehabilitation means modernized spillway capacity, embankment integrity upgrades, and compliance with updated engineering standards — not just maintaining the status quo.
Managed modernization. Reduced downstream risk. Preserved water rights. Enhanced habitat. Watershed function maintained. A model for the state.
Form Mauka to Makai as a Hawai'i nonprofit corporation and secure 501(c)(3) status. Mission: water infrastructure modernization, watershed resilience, historic preservation, cultural restoration, environmental conservation, and community education.
Governance reflects community voice, cultural knowledge, engineering expertise, conservation priorities, and regulatory awareness.
Receive Lot 3 and dam infrastructure from the three current owners through a voluntary transfer to the nonprofit. This eliminates personal liability for KRCA homeowners, removes dam costs from HOA assessments, and preserves the zero-density community amenity designation.
KRCA has already signed a letter of intent supporting remediation and shared all engineering plans.
Apply for DAIRG, HHPD, FEMA, and other programs using existing engineering work as a foundation. Commission updated hydraulic and stability analyses aligned with new PMP standards. The dam's "high hazard" classification — the same classification that makes it expensive — is exactly what qualifies it for the largest grant programs.
The irony: the problem is the solution.
All work aligned with DLNR Dam Safety, CWRM, DOFAW, SHPD, and Kaua'i County requirements. Licensed professionals. Full transparency. No shortcuts.
Phase I is the critical bridge between community vision and grant eligibility. Funds will be allocated to:
Completion of Phase I positions the project to compete for $1–2 million in state and federal rehabilitation funding.
Phase I is the bridge. Community investment in Phase I unlocks the state and federal grants that fund everything after.
Responsible stewardship means planning for uncertainty. Here is how Mauka to Makai addresses the key risks:
We are actively assembling a Founding Advisory Circle of engineers, cultural practitioners, legal counsel, and financial stewards to guide this transition. Serious infrastructure work requires serious expertise — and donors fund teams, not just missions.
The Advisory Circle will include:
If you have expertise in any of these areas and want to help, we want to hear from you.
Created specifically for privately owned, high-hazard dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition — Kalihiwai's exact profile. Under nonprofit ownership, the reservoir becomes eligible for the first time.
Hawai'i was awarded $10.36 million in FY2024 — the largest federal dam safety allocation the state has received. Specifically for rehabilitating high-hazard dams. Nonprofits are eligible.
HMGP and BRIC programs fund dam rehabilitation and flood risk reduction. The dam's "high hazard" downstream classification strengthens grant applications.
PL-566 Watershed Protection and NRCS technical assistance for rural dam rehabilitation. Kalihiwai's agricultural history strengthens eligibility.
The reservoir's confirmed significance (HAER HI-174, Library of Congress) makes it eligible for National Trust and state historic preservation funding for rehabilitation of significant structures.
Office of Hawaiian Affairs funds cultural site preservation, environmental restoration, and community capacity building. The ahupua'a restoration mission aligns directly with OHA priorities.
HCF manages over $900 million and funds environmental conservation, community resilience, and cultural preservation. Their CHANGE Framework aligns with our mission.
As a 501(c)(3), all donations are tax-deductible — enabling fundraising events, annual giving campaigns, and planned giving from residents and supporters who believe in preservation.
Hawai'i has 123 regulated dams. The average age is 91 years. Seventy-one percent are privately owned. Most were built before modern safety standards existed. The Kalihiwai Reservoir is part of a statewide challenge — and a statewide opportunity.
The Hawai'i Dam and Reservoir Safety Program (HRS §179D) was built for institutional dam owners — utilities, plantations, government agencies. Many of Hawai'i's dams are now managed by HOA boards and small private landowners who inherited infrastructure they had no role in building. The state spent $1.68 million total on dam safety operations in FY2025 — while overseeing 123 regulated dams, most in poor condition.
At the same time, Hawai'i is completing a statewide update to its Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) standards — replacing 60-year-old rainfall modeling with modern meteorological data and climate projections. As those standards evolve, aging infrastructure must either be modernized to meet new hydraulic capacity requirements or face increasingly restrictive operational limits, including "keep empty" orders that permanently remove watershed function.
If Mauka to Makai succeeds, it becomes more than one reservoir saved. Forty-seven of Kaua'i's regulated dams face similar challenges. A nonprofit stewardship model that bridges compliance requirements with community investment creates a replicable template — demonstrating that managed modernization, not unmanaged decline, is the path forward for Hawai'i's aging water infrastructure.
A governance model that balances community voice, cultural knowledge, and technical expertise — built for transparency and long-term stewardship.
Mauka to Makai's board of directors will reflect the diverse stakeholders who depend on the reservoir's health and the watershed's integrity. Board members serve staggered terms to ensure continuity, and the bylaws will require that at minimum one-third of seats be held by community members from the Kalihiwai area.
Cultural advisory positions ensure that Hawaiian values and practices remain central to all decision-making. The nonprofit operates with full transparency — annual reports, public board meetings, audited financial statements, and regular community updates.
The transition to nonprofit stewardship provides substantial benefits to current KRCA members and the broader community:
Every claim on this website is drawn from official government records, engineering reports, and legal documents.
AECOM — Phase 1 Inspection Report, KA-0024 (Project #60662036, September 2022). Prepared for DLNR Engineering Division by Steve Rogers PE, Jennifer Williams PE, and Noah Wong PE. Gannett Fleming — Project #71132, Pre-Final Design and Engineer's Estimate of Probable Costs (May 2022). ARCADIS — Seepage and Stability Evaluation (March 2015). Flow Simulation LLC — Dam-Break Flooding Study (October 2006). Pacific Disaster Center — Individual Assessment Report (April 2016).
EngineeringHawai'i Dam and Reservoir Safety Program — FY2015 & FY2025 Reports to the Legislature. National Inventory of Dams data (KA-0024 / HI00024). Screening Level Risk Assessment. Notices of Deficiency (2013 & 2021).
GovernmentSHPD — HAR §6E-42 Review (July 2023, Proj. 2022PR00711). Mason Architects — Reconnaissance Level Survey (June 2023). HAER HI-174 accepted by National Park Service (March 7, 2024), Library of Congress.
HistoricCWRM — Pohakuhonu Stream diversion letter (Feb. 2023, Ref: RFD.5939.2). DOFAW — Wildlife consultation (Oct. 2025). Kaua'i Planning — Lot 3 density restriction (Condition 7). KRCA Dam Committee Report (2022, E. Letcher) and Reservoir Update (July 2024). Belles Graham LLP — OIP Request (Jan. 2026).
Agency RecordsWe're building a coalition of founding supporters to fund Phase I — the $250,000 bridge that unlocks everything. This is the work that makes us grant-eligible, and grant-eligible is what makes modernization possible.
Community investment in Phase I is the bridge. It unlocks $5M in state DAIRG grants and $10.36M in federal HHPD funds — programs specifically designed for dams like this one. Without Phase I, those funds are inaccessible.
Become a Founding Supporter →info@maukatomakai.foundation