News Releases

New recommended system for Ala Wai project evaluated in technical report

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Honolulu District
Published Aug. 18, 2020
Updated: Aug. 17, 2020
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Honolulu District completed an Engineering Documentation Report Aug. 6 that provides the new recommended plan for the Ala Wai Flood Control Project.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Honolulu District completed an Engineering Documentation Report Aug. 6 that provides the new recommended plan for the Ala Wai Flood Control Project. The new plan incorporates significantly less impacts on the natural streams and residential properties within the watershed, and focuses on evacuating the water without detaining it in the upper reaches of the watershed valleys. Using this report as the foundation, the project team will now begin the evaluation of costs, economic benefits, and environmental impacts through a supplemental National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Hawaii Environmental Policy Act process (HEPA) process. The report reflects many concerns heard from Ala Wai communities, improves design concepts, and is prepared to support the Project Partnership Agreement (PPA). The report and this map showing the current proposed project design changes and new feature recommendations are available on the Ala Wai project webpage: https://go.usa.gov/xfARb.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Honolulu District completed an Engineering Documentation Report Aug. 6 that provides the new recommended plan for the Ala Wai Flood Control Project.  

The new plan incorporates significantly less impacts on the natural streams and residential properties within the watershed, and focuses on evacuating the water without detaining it in the upper reaches of the watershed valleys.  Using this report as the foundation, the project team will now begin the evaluation of costs, economic benefits, and environmental impacts through a supplemental National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Hawaii Environmental Policy Act process (HEPA) process.   

Honolulu District Commander Lt. Col. Eric S. Marshall signed the report, a technical evaluation of the flood control system with modifications designed during the past year. The report reflects many concerns heard from Ala Wai communities, improves design concepts, and is prepared to support the Project Partnership Agreement (PPA). The City and County of Honolulu and USACE, comprising the project team, must eventually sign a PPA before construction of a final Ala Wai project can begin.  

 

The report and a map showing the current proposed project design changes and new feature recommendations are available on the Ala Wai project webpage: https://go.usa.gov/xfARb. 

Community engagement input was vital in making recommended changes shown in the report.  Opportunities for future engagements and input will be posted to the webpage in the coming weeks. A public scoping meeting as part of the NEPA/HEPA process is planned for later this year to present new data in the report, explain the NEPA/HEPA process, and welcome input on the issues to consider in the environmental document.   Questions about the project or the report can be emailed to: AlaWaiFloodProject@usace.army.mil.

 


Contact
Dino Buchanan
808-835-4003

Release no. 20-038