Directors of the Hawaiʻi Agribusiness Development Corp. have approved the $4.9 million purchase of the remaining land to acquire the 120-year-old Wahiawā dam and spillway, part of a larger deal by the state to acquire an irrigation system that runs from Wahiawā to the North Shore.
Once the purchase is complete, the state will have to make the hazardous dam safe and restore the Wahiawā reservoir and miles of irrigation lines, likely costing tens of millions of dollars.
Directors unanimously voted on Wednesday to acquire the dam — and buy the land on which it sits — from Sustainable Hawaiʻi LLC and purchase the surrounding area owned by Dole Food Co. The decision edged the state closer to finalizing the complex, multi-agency transaction for more than 140 acres of land before a June 30 deadline.
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