Splash!
Oopu Stream Water Fight
A lot has been going on regarding the ongoing east Maui stream water fight. The state Commission on Water Resource Management issued a decision, and the court ruled in the Sierra Club’s favor that Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) needs to conduct a contested case hearing. At stake is the water for freshwater aquatic life like ‘o‘opu and ‘opae.
There are five species of ‘o‘opu in the world, and four are found in Hawai‘i streams. Mike Kido, an expert in stream biology and ecology, spent days along the Maui streams to draft an expert court report for the Sierra Club’s case. Mike testified on biological integrity of streams. He explained the life cycle of the amphimodrous species that swim between fresh water and ocean environments. He outlined how water diversions harm native aquatic life like ‘o‘opu and ‘opae.
The court listened to Mike’s stream fishing tales and invalidated BLNR water permits because they denied the Sierra Club’s request for a contested case hearing.
“[This] was a good day in court for the streams and the residents of east Maui. The environmental court made it crystal clear to A&B [Alexander & Baldwin] that the court will be invalidating the
