POIPU — Twenty koi are adjusting to their new home at The Point at Poipu resort, refugees from a pond off of the Wailua Reservoir that’s scheduled to run dry at the end of the year.
Caught in the quagmire of irrigation management on Kauai’s Eastside, the fish were living at the Kauai Hindu Monastery in Wailua Homesteads in a pond connected to the state-owned irrigation system that has been managed for 18 years by the East Kauai Water Users Cooperative.
New, revocable-permit licensing rules were created for water-diversion management in the 2018-19 state legislative session, triggering a more-expensive process that the cooperative couldn’t handle on their own, according to East Kauai Water Users Cooperative President Jerry Ornellas.
Because of that, management of the entire system is reverting back to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, which confirmed they’d take over on Wednesday, Jan. 1.
Kauai legislators say there are still conversations ongoing between DLNR and the state Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness Development Corporation about maintenance of the system, and DOA has been tasked with some of the studies needed to bring management of the system up to speed with new rules.
“The Legislature appropriated $2 million in environmental studies needed to obtain a revocable permit from DLNR,” said state Rep. Nadine Nakamura. “The Department of Agriculture is in the process of undertaking those studies. In the meantime, we hope that DLNR and/or ADC will maintain the system and continue agriculture uses in the district.”
Currently, though, DLNR says it’s going to shut down the water flow as soon as possible.
“Present course of action is to close the diversions and lower the water levels in the reservoir,” DLNR representatives said told TGI Thursday.
DLNR representatives also said Thursday the plan is to close diversions “prior to assuming management of the irrigation system.”
Once the monastery realized time was running out for their collection of koi, monks posted an ad, attracting the attention of Mario Moreno and David Abalos at The Point at Poipu, who had just bought and introduced 100 baby koi to the property.
“Our ponds, about three years ago, were teeming with koi, and it’s a mystery as to what happened to them,” Moreno said. “We’ve been trying to repopulate for about a year now.”
Resort staff jumped on the opportunity and connected with the monks. Soon, Moreno’s team was on its way to Wailua on a fishing adventure.
“It was actually a lot of fun. The monastery grounds are gorgeous and they helped us catch fish,” Moreno said. “It was a break from my team’s normal routine.”
Both Moreno and the monestary’s Yogi Acharya Arumuganathaswami said staff worked together well. The fish were fast and
difficult to catch, even in the small pond. It was a wild adventure that lasted about four hours.
“I even took a smack to my jaw from the biggest one we caught,” Moreno said. “I had him in the net and then he came around and smacked me.”
Now the fish are adjusting at The Point at Poipu, some as big as three-feet long, living in three different ponds on the property. As soon as they’re fully adjusted, there will be published feeding times so guests can see the fish up close.
There are still two colorful koi left for capture in the pond at the Kauai Hindu Monastery.
“We’ll go back and get them,” Moreno said. “The others, they’re adjusting great. They’re happy and eating and they’re really creating a buzz for our guests already.”
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Jessica Else, environment reporter, can be reached at 245-0452 or jelse@thegardenisland.com.
