Launiupoko Irrigation Company, LLC (LIC) was established in 2002 by Makila Land Company, LLC. The purchase by Makila Land included the irrigation water system built by and utilized by Pioneer Mill for 150 years of growing sugar cane. LIC was formed to provide irrigation water service to the agricultural subdivisions and Kuleana lands. The LIC received a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the State of Hawaii Public Utilities Commission to provide water service to this area in October of 2003.
The Launiupoko Irrigation Company’s water system is serviced by two stream diversions, with intakes at Kauaula and Launiupoko streams. Both streams collect their water from watersheds of two separate valleys within the conservation zoned land owned by Makila Land Co., LLC. From the diversion water is transported by ditch or pipe, collected in reservoirs and distributed to agricultural lands below.
Details of Launiupoko Stream System
The Launiupoko Intake dam is at the elevation of 1280 feet. The
intake diverts water from a 742 acre watershed into a cut stone ditch
with an 8 inch PVC pipe along a transmission ditch approximately 1 mile
long. The pipe and ditch deliver the water to the Launiupoko Reservoir a
3 million gallon reservoir at elev. 860 feet. From the reservoir a 10
PVC delivers the water to a filter station located at 820 feet. After
the filter station the transmission lines split allowing the water to
service the Mahanalua Nui Subdivision to the south and to Makila
plantation subdivision to the North.
There is one known development tunnel above the intake and is given the designation number 15 by USGS. The tunnel is at an elevation of 1425 feet located on the north side of the valley about 1300 feet Mauka of the intake. The tunnel is 1320 feet long, cuts 20 dikes and reportedly develops about .1 MGD or about 17 percent of the median flow diverted from the valley.
Total Flows diverted by this system as expressed by statistical parameters are as follows:
- Mean = .78 MGD
- Median = .60 MGD
- Mode = .55 MGD
- Max. = 4.75 MGD
Period of Record 1956 to 1975 (20 Years)
Details of Kauaula Stream System
The Kauaula Intake diversion dam is at an elevation of 1529 feet, which diverts water from a 1200-acre watershed through a rocktrap with flushing gate, across an inclined grating and then into a .8-mile transmission tunnel. At the end of the tunnel the water flows into a forebay and then penstock that runs the Kauaula Hydroelectric plant. From the hydro plant the water enters a ditch then to a siphon and back to a ditch, which flows to the Kauaula reservoir, a 4 million gallon reservoir at 750 feet. From the reservoir a 12 PVC delivers the water to a filter station located at approximately 650 feet. After the filter station the transmission lines split allowing the water to service the Makila plantation subdivision the to the south and to Pu’uanoa subdivision to the west.
There is one known development tunnel above the intake. The location
of the tunnel is about 1.4 miles upstream from the intake on the north
side of the valley at an elevation of 2920 feet. The tunnel is 656 feet
long, cuts 194 dikes and reportedly delivers about 2.0 MGD to the total
stream flow
Total Flows diverted by this system as expressed by statistical parameters are as follows:Mean = 5.22 MGD Median = 4.50 MGD Mode = 3.45 MGD Max. = 25.5 MGD Period of Record 1956 to 1975 (20 Years)
* Flow data taken from a report called Hydromania written by Bert Hatton Civil Engineer for Pioneer Mill.