#Kohala water flume manual#
Instead, manual labor would be required, and the cost would be high - $695,000 ($19 million in today’s money). O’Shaughnessy found that machinery couldn’t be used because of rough terrain and unstable soil conditions in the mountains. He sought the advice of Michael O’Shaughnessy, a respected civil and hydraulic engineer, to determine the feasibility of building such an irrigation system in Kohala. John Hind, owner of Hawi Mill and Plantation, had heard about Maui plantations’ success diverting water from upland rainforests to lowland cane fields. They needed a steady source of water to survive. They relied on rain to water their fields, but because of drought conditions at the time, yields were low. It is still the lifeblood of Kohala.”Īt the turn of the last century, seven plantations were cultivating about 10,000 acres of sugar cane in Kohala. “The ditch has outlived the plantations that it was built for, and it still serves its original purpose: to provide farmers with water.
“Gliding down the ditch is a unique way for people to get a glimpse of bygone days,” Camara said. Headlights worn by some participants reveal messages carved in kanji on the walls by workers more than a century ago. Expect to get wet, though, from waterfalls by and in the tunnels and spring water that drips through the ceilings. The ditch’s depth ranges from just 25 to 35 inches, depending on the amount of rainfall. Along the way the guides, most of whom were born and raised in Kohala, share anecdotes about life there and the building of the ditch.Ĭan’t swim? No worries. One after another the kayaks float over seven flumes and through 10 pitch-black tunnels ranging from 100 to 1,800 feet in length. “Their homes were just mauka (toward the mountains) of the ditch.” “Over the years, those trees were planted by various caretakers of the ditch and their families,” Camara said. It covers the same three miles on the ditch as its predecessors but adds a stop overlooking magnificent Pololu Valley and a short walk to the launch site on a flume bordered by mango, avocado, banana and other fruit trees. “Our tour is supporting agriculture and contributing to the economic health of Kohala.” “By running the tour in-house, so to speak, rather than contracting it to an outside vendor, most of the revenues can be directed toward the rebuilding and maintenance of the ditch,” she said. Camara worked as a guide for both of those companies. The previous two businesses closed due to natural disasters that badly damaged the ditch: Flumin’ Da Ditch in 2006 because of a 6.6-magnitude earthquake, and Kohala Ditch Adventures in 2014 because of big back-to-back storms. Flumin’ Kohala is the operating name of Kohala Eco Ventures, whose executives also run the Kohala Ditch Co., the manager and part-owner of the ditch.įlumin’ Kohala is the third company to operate such a tour. Today Camara is general manager of Flumin’ Kohala, which takes visitors on a leisurely kayak ride down the historic ditch. “The ditch supplied water for sugar cane cultivation, which provided jobs for them.” “If it weren’t for the ditch, my family, like many others, would not have made Kohala their home,” Camara said. The ditch was a 2-mile bike ride from their Hawi home. Her mother, however, shared many fond memories about that irrigation system, including swimming there with her two brothers.
When she was growing up, the Kohala Ditch (see sidebar) was on privately owned land that was not open to the public. Kohala Sugar closed in 1975, six years before Camara was born. My maternal great-grandfather worked for Kohala Sugar Co. “The train carried processed cane from the mills to the wharf at Makukona, 7 miles west of Hawi town. “My paternal great-grandfather worked for Hawaii Railway Co., which ran the ‘Sugar Cane Train,’” Camara said. Her roots in that rural district of Hawaii island run deep - four generations, to be exact: Her paternal and maternal great-grandparents moved there from Maui and the Philippines, respectively, seeking a better life. Kids stroll across a catwalk on their way to the kayaks’ launch site.īernelle Camara is a proud daughter of Kohala.
#Kohala water flume how to#
How to Research the History of Your Home.Historic Property Inventories & Context Studies.Maui, Molokai & Lanai Historic Properties.
0 kommentar(er)
