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Severe drought conditions trigger call for water conservation

By Staff | Jun 17, 2022

Many forests around the state “are bone dry and getting dryer by the day,” said State Wildfire Manager Mike Walker. PHOTO COURTESY OF DLNR.

WAILUKU — With parts of Maui County under severe to extreme drought conditions, the Department of Water Supply is asking everyone to conserve water as much as possible during these hot, dry summer months.

The department is not immediately declaring a water shortage, although that step might be necessary in coming weeks without relief from current very dry conditions.

The National Weather Service reports extreme drought on Maui in the lower leeward slopes of Haleakala between Maalaea and Wailea, and severe drought in Maui’s Central Valley and Upcountry.

On Molokai, severe drought worsened to extreme drought on the West Side of the island, and Lanai has severe drought over most areas.

The Department of Water Supply reports dry conditions also affecting surface water supplies in West Maui.

“Water is a precious resource, especially in an island community,” Mayor Michael Victorino said.

“Both residents and visitors can find ways to conserve water. Let’s do our part by taking shorter showers, postponing car washes and reducing other nonessential uses of water.”

The Department of Water Supply reports its two 15 million-gallon Waikamoi Reservoirs empty as of last week Wednesday, with the two 50 million-gallon Kahakapao Reservoirs at 70 percent capacity and the 50 million-gallon Piiholo Reservoir at 91 percent capacity. Upcountry water usage averages about 8 million gallons per day.

For more information about water conservation, visit the department’s water resources website at https://waterresources.maui county.gov/153/Water-Conservation.

For more information, contact Department of Water Supply Administrative Officer Adam Mundy at (808) 270-8046.

In related news, state officials last week announced that the link between drought conditions and wildfire in Hawaii is already in full play, and conditions this summer are expected to worsen.

This was the message of the annual Wildfire & Drought LOOKOUT! awareness campaign hosted by the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO). It is a collaborative effort of dozens of wildfire and water management organizations and agencies statewide to provide wildfire and drought preparedness tips.

At the June 7 news conference held on Oahu, a meteorologist, a fire scientist, a fire manager and a fire inspector shared current and predicted Hawaii drought conditions, the seasonal fire outlook and what everyone can do to prevent wildland fires.

Meteorologist Derek Wroe of the National Weather Service Honolulu Forecast Office said, “Recent rainfall has provided some benefit for leeward Kauai and Oahu, but moderate to extreme drought covers large portions of Oahu, Maui County and the Big Island. As people know, we are heading into the hotter and drier summer months, and projections call for rainfall to be below normal. As a result, drought will likely expand and worsen over the fire-prone leeward areas. These drier than normal conditions may linger into the beginning of the normal wet season in October and November. The U.S. Drought Monitor is showing more than a half million of us are already being impacted by drought conditions.”

The drought monitor on June 2 showed areas of extreme drought on Molokai, Kahoolawe, Maui and Hawaii Island. Only Kauai is currently drought-free.

“As people know, we’re heading into the much dryer, hotter summer months, so there’s no reason to expect any relief from the drought. We do expect the percentage of land in the extreme to exceptional drought categories to grow,” Wroe added.

Dr. Clay Trauernicht is an ecosystems and fire extension specialist at the University of Hawaii Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management who studies the impacts of fires on natural systems.

“Most wildfires in Hawaii tend to be smaller in size when compared with other western states. However, most years, as a percentage of land area, Hawaii loses as much acreage to fire as all the large states on the West Coast and in the Western U.S. Fortunately, there is a lot we can do to protect our people and places from wildfire. We just all need to take preparedness action,” Trauernicht said.

Forest users are reminded that ground fires are always strictly prohibited on lands managed by DOFAW, which include State Forest Reserves and Natural Area Reserves.

Campfires must be in a container such as a barbecue grill or metal drum. All embers must be extinguished when the fire is unattended.

“We recommend campers and hikers carry extra water and fire extinguishers in their vehicles when in forested or vegetated areas, especially during dry, windy summer months,” Department of Fish & Wildlife (DOFAW) State Wildfire Manager Mike Walker said.

Walker noted that while DOFAW has primary fire suppression responsibility on state lands under its jurisdiction, initial response and firefighting is often shared with county fire departments.