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Kāne‘ohe/Kailua Area Flood Control Project

The Kāne‘ohe-Kailua Area Flood Control Project is located at the Kamo‘oali‘i-Kāne‘ohe Stream drainage basin on the east coast of O‘ahu. The drainage basin is bounded on the west and south by the Ko‘olau Mountain Range, on the east by the remnants of the Kāne‘ohe volcanic cone, and on the north by Kāne‘ohe Bay. The project was authorized under the Flood Control Act of 1970 at a cost of $25,552,400 (Federal: $19,884,100; non-Federal: $5,668,300).

Construction began in April 1976 and was completed in July 1980. The project, better known as K-K Dam, consists of a dam and reservoir on Kamo‘oali‘i Stream, channel improvements at the mouth of Kāne‘ohe Stream, and a public recreation park with fish and wildlife enhancement features. The park’s name is Ho‘omaluhia, which means the Place of Peace. The earth fill dam embankment is 2,200 feet long and 76 feet high. The reservoir has a permanent pool capacity of 260 acre-feet, with a maximum storage capacity of 3,800 acre-feet. Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden includes 223 acres of land above the maximum flood control pool elevation and optimizes the use of land and water areas required for flood control, while ensuring the preservation of open space in a highly urbanized area. The local sponsor is the City & County of Honolulu.