Kohala Ditch

A brugmansia grows beside the Kohala Ditch

The Kohala Ditch was built in the early 1900s to carry water from the wet slopes of Kohala Mountain, to the sometimes drought-prone sugar cane fields of Kohala. A series of tunnels, flumes and ditches channeled water through ridges and over gullies for a distance of 14 miles.

After the sugar cane industry folded, ditch water continued to be used by other agricultural activities. But this valuable resource was always beset by difficulties. The challenging landscape was prone to landslides and flooding. Flumes were washed away, tunnels blocked. Increasingly expensive and time-consuming repairs did not provide the same economic benefit they once did.

After one such event, a few years ago, the operator of the ditch said it would no longer be repaired and maintained.

The Kohala Ditch in North Kohala, Hawaii, overgrown with vegetation
The Kohala Ditch in North Kohala, Hawaii, overgrown with vegetation

The top photo shows a section of the ditch in 2016. The others show how it looks today, in places, overgrown with weeds and even trees. In some areas it’s more manicured by those living next to it. In the meantime, access to water is a considerable problem, especially as dry weather is increasingly common in the area.

The Kohala Ditch in North Kohala, Hawaii, is currently without water
An arrangement to control the flow and level of water in the ditch.
The Kohala Ditch in North Kohala, Hawaii, is currently without water
The Kohala Ditch in North Kohala, Hawaii, is currently without water
How the section in the top photo looks today.

The current Governor of Hawaii knows this region well and money has been earmarked for finding a solution to the area’s water shortage, but when and how that happens is still very much in the pipeline!

For more information about the history of the Kohala Ditch, go to fluminkohala.com/the-kohala-ditch.

Black Triggerfish

A Black Triggerfish in the waters off Hawaii
A Black Triggerfish in the waters off Hawaii
A view from the air of La Pelouse Bay in Maui Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Black or Metallic.’ See more responses here.

I’m going with the Black Triggerfish for this one. This fish is very black except for distinctive light blue lines at the base of the dorsal and anal fins. Even the eyes are black and very difficult to distinguish in the water or in photos.

The exception to this is when the fish is aroused. Then, blue lines radiate from around the eyes. The more agitated the fish is, the more color is displayed until the fish is entirely blue, yellow and green, except for the fins and tail outline.

These fish often gather in large numbers high in the water, feeding on plankton and drifting algae. But they also feed lower in the water, especially when sergeant fish eggs are on the menu.

Black Triggerfish in the waters off Hawaii