Requesting The Agribusiness Development Corporation To Assume Responsibility For The Routine Maintenance And Repair Of The Kohala Ditch.
SR73 is a Senate Resolution that asks the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) to take responsibility for the routine maintenance and repair of the Kohala Ditch on Hawaiʻi Island. The resolution describes the ditch as a long-standing irrigation system that now serves as a critical water source for North Kohala farmers and ranchers, supporting agricultural production, local food resilience, and community sustenance. It notes that a 2021 rockslide damaged a key flume, interrupting water flow and forcing many users to rely on much more expensive county water.
The resolution also explains that the State previously appropriated $10 million in Act 164 (2023) for design and construction repairs to restore the ditch, but those funds have not yet been released to the intended grantee, Kohala Ditch Co-Op, Incorporated, because of compliance issues under chapter 42F, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes. In response, SR73 urges ADC to develop and implement a comprehensive maintenance plan, including regular inspections, repairs, upgrades, and coordination with affected landowners, farmers, ranchers, businesses, and other stakeholders. It further requests annual reporting to the Legislature on maintenance activities, expenditures, the ditch’s condition, and recommended improvements.
The bill’s practical impact is to direct attention and administrative responsibility toward a state agricultural entity rather than leaving the issue solely with the co-op or ad hoc grant administration. Although a resolution does not itself change statutory law, SR73 would formally position ADC as the requested coordinating authority for ongoing maintenance and repair of the Kohala Ditch and would create a reporting expectation to the Legislature. It also reinforces the policy goal of protecting agricultural water infrastructure that supports local production and reduces dependence on imported food and expensive alternative water sources.
The general sentiment around the resolution appears strongly supportive. The committee vote recorded for the Senate Economic Development and Technology committee was unanimous, 3-0, and the resolution’s findings frame the ditch repair as urgent for farmers, ranchers, and the broader agricultural economy. The tone is one of practical problem-solving and infrastructure stewardship, with emphasis on food security, economic stability, and preserving a vital community resource.
The main point of contention is not opposition to repairing the ditch, but rather the question of who should manage the work and how to overcome the funding and compliance obstacles that have delayed implementation. The resolution highlights the failure to release the previously appropriated funds to the Kohala Ditch Co-Op because of chapter 42F requirements, suggesting concern about grant administration and the need for a more capable coordinating body. Another implicit issue is the complexity of working across private and public lands, which the resolution says requires a well-qualified authority with local knowledge and the ability to coordinate multiple stakeholders.
SR73 does not amend the Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, but it seeks to influence state action by requesting the Agribusiness Development Corporation to assume responsibility for routine maintenance and repair of the Kohala Ditch and to prepare a comprehensive maintenance plan and recurring reports to the Legislature. It reinforces the policy framework established by Act 164 (2023), which appropriated $10 million for Kohala Ditch repairs, and it highlights the unresolved grant-compliance issues that have delayed release of those funds to the Kohala Ditch Co-Op, Incorporated. The resolution would affect ADC, the Department of Agriculture, the co-op, and local agricultural users by elevating ADC as the proposed coordinating entity for restoration and ongoing upkeep of this irrigation infrastructure.
The sentiment reflected in the available record is broadly favorable and urgent. The resolution passed the Senate Economic Development and Technology committee unanimously, 3-0, with no recorded opposition, indicating support for addressing the Kohala Ditch problem. The bill’s findings and language emphasize the importance of the ditch to agriculture, food resilience, and local livelihoods, suggesting a consensus that the issue warrants state involvement and coordinated action.
The central issue is administrative and operational rather than ideological: who should be responsible for maintaining and repairing the Kohala Ditch, and how the work should be organized. The resolution points to delays in releasing previously appropriated funds because the intended grantee, Kohala Ditch Co-Op, Incorporated, has had difficulty meeting chapter 42F grant requirements. It also implies concern that the co-op alone may not be the best entity to manage a complex, multi-landowner infrastructure project, which is why ADC is being asked to step in. Any disagreement appears to center on implementation, grant compliance, and coordination across public and private stakeholders, not on whether the ditch should be repaired.