Honolulu Civil Beat
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'Sense Of Urgency': Oʻahu's Plantation-Era Irrigation Ditches Crumble
Posted
January 28, 2026
Views
69
Likes
3
Engagement
4.35%
January 28, 2026
69
3
4.35%
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2:18Now PlayingRead the story
In the fields of Central Oʻahu, a 30-mile irrigation system brings 6 to 10 million gallons of water to farmers every day. This water once fed 17,000 acres of sugarcane and pineapple in the early 1900s.
The state has spent three years planning and negotiating a takeover, envisioning these sugar canals as the engine behind an agricultural renaissance. But as these talks dragged on, maintenance was neglected.
Now, the Wahiawā Dam — which feeds the irrigation system — has been so neglected that it’s considered a hazard that could endanger 2,500 lives if catastrophic failure strikes. Fixing it won’t come cheap.
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