Drought in Hawaii, March 1 to 31, 2001

Maui CountyMaui County continued its streak of dryness through the month of March. Gages on the three populated islands of Maui, Molokai and Lanai reported below normal rainfall, with three sites (Waikapu, Lahainaluna, and Kihei) reporting amounts less than 10 percent of average. There were no daily totals greater than 1 inch; the highest total for the month was only 3.04 inches at Haiku. Increasing rainfall deficits on Molokai further aggravated agricultural drought conditions, where irrigation reservoirs were at critically low levels.Island of HawaiiRainfall totals for 2001 through the end of March across the eastern half of the Big Island were mostly in the range of 50 to 80 percent of average. Totals at most locations in the western half of the island were in the range of 20 to 40 percent of average.The following list contains rainfall statistics for selected locations from around Maui County and the island of Hawaii where there have been ongoing drought conditions. The first column is the observed rainfall for March. The second column is the 30-year average for each location, while the third column lists the percent of average for the month. The fourth and fifth columns are the year-to-date total and percent of average, respectively. YTD March 01 Avg. %Avg. YTD %Avg.Maui Kihei 0.19 2.10 9 0.59 7 Lahainaluna 0.05 2.40 2 0.74 8 Kula 0.57 2.80 20 3.57 31 Ulupalakua 1.28 4.00 32 2.70 20Molokai Kaunakakai 0.30 1.80 17 1.26 16 Kamalo 1.50 3.60 42 4.92 38Lanai Lanai City 0.73 3.70 20 2.57 18Island of Hawaii Honaunau 2.37 5.10 46 3.73 31 Kamuela (Upper) 1.49 6.70 22 6.99 39 Waiaha 1.38 5.20 27 2.27 17 Kahua Ranch 1.14 8.80 13 6.58 27 Kealakekua 2.17 5.60 39 4.11 30Recent drought problems have worsened on Molokai. By the end of March, the Maui County mayor was asking the governor to declare a drought emergency on the isle. A declared drought emergency would free up funds to pay for electricity needed to pump well water and deliver it to the 1.4 billion gallon reservoir at Kualapuu in central Molokai. The reservoir, which is normally at 20 feet, had fallen to about 4 feet after an electrical failure halted pumping for about two weeks in the month. More than 200 farmers and Hawaiian homesteaders on Molokai had reduced their water usage by about 30 percent by March 31st.The ongoing drought continues to affect livestock and agricultural producers in the state, especially in Maui County and western parts of the Big Island of Hawaii. The losses in dollar values are not readily available for most sectors, but cattle operations lost around $9 million in 2000 alone.