Sovereign Sugar: Industry and Environment in Hawaii

Appendix 9: Major Water Development Projects

s a p p e n d i x 9 Major Water Development Projects Project Date Completed Company Notes Maui Hamakua Ditch 1878 Haiku Sugar Co.1 First major project into E. Maui; H. P. Baldwin, J. Alexander , engineers Haiku (Spreckels) Ditch 1879 HC&S Co.2 E. Maui; H. Schussler (San Francisco), engineer Waihee (Spreckels) Ditch 1882 HC&S Co. W. Maui; HC&S now irrigated from both sides of Maui Lowrie Ditch 1900 HC&S Co. Replaced the Haiku Ditch in the 1920s Koolau Ditch 1905 Hamakua Ditch Co.3 E. Maui; M. O’Shaughnessy (San Francisco), engineer Waihee Canal 1907 Wailuku Sugar Co. W. Maui; J. T. Taylor, engineer Kaua‘i Makaweli (Hanapēpē) Ditch 1891 Hawaiian Sugar Co. Opened up west Kaua‘i lands; designed by H. P. Baldwin; constructed by B. C. Perry Ookele Ditch 1904 Hawaiian Sugar Co. M. O’Shaughnessy, engineer; revolutionized ditch construction with tunnels Kekaha Ditch 1907 Kekaha Sugar Co. From Waimea River. Augmented earlier wells drilled on Mana lands. Lihue Ditches & Tunnels 1870s–1920s Lihue Plantation Co. Several ditches and tunnels supplied Līhu‘e, Kōloa, and Grove Farm plantations. Became East Kaua‘i Water Co. in 1924. Hawai‘i Hamakua Ditch Co. Upper, Lower 1907, 1910 Hamakua Pltns. J. Jorgensen, engineer. Backed by Theo. H. Davies & Co., F. A. Schaefer & Co., H. Hackfeld. (continued) Subscribers: Pacific Sugar Mill, Hamakua Sugar Co. Became Hawaiian Irrigation Co. in 1909. Kohala Ditch Co. 1906 North Kohala Pltns M. M. O’Shaughnessy, engineer. Backed by J. T. McCrosson and Samuel Parker. Subscribers: Union Mill, Kohala Sugar, Niulii Plantation, Hawi Sugar, Halawa Plantation. O‘ahu Artesian Wells 1890s and on Ewa & Oahu Pltns. Pearl Harbor aquifer. Ewa Sugar Co. reliant completely upon groundwater and pumping. Oahu and Honolulu Sugar companies supplemented ditch water with groundwater. Wahiawa Ditch ca. 1902 Waialua Sugar Co. H. C. Kellogg, engineer. Water from ditch stored in Wahiawā reservoir and pumped to higher fields for irrigation. Waiahole Ditch 1916 Oahu Sugar Co. J. Jorgensen, engineer. Waiahole Water Co. established 1912. Ditch consisted primarily of tunnels carrying water from windward side. Source: Adapted from Wilcox, Sugar Water, 64–67. These represent the largest projects by the major sugar producers, which are discussed in chapter 7. Many plantations had smaller ditch systems (which are listed in Wilcox’s table). 1. The ditch, incorporated under the Hamakua Ditch Company, was also financed by the Grove Ranch Plantation and independent grower James Alexander. 2. Alexander & Baldwin acquired HC&S in 1898, including the Haiku Ditch. In 1908, they incorporated all of the East Maui Mountain ditches under the East Maui Irrigation Co. to manage all of the surface waters utilized by their plantations. 3. Originally built as a ten-mile extension of the Hamakua Ditch into the Ko‘olau range of east Maui. Project Date Completed Company Notes ...