KA'A'AWA — Residents devastated by flooding from Makaua Stream in March 2006 fear that the next big storm could wreak even more havoc and bring down the bridge over the stream on Kamehameha Highway.

So they welcomed details of a state plan to remove tons of debris from the streambed and build rock walls to prevent more flooding.

Work on the $1.34 million project will begin in June 2008, officials told residents during a community meeting Tuesday night. That means another winter without the improvements, but officials said the forecast is for a mild winter in Hawai'i.

Residents hope they're right.

"The next big one is going to wash out the bridge," said Fulvio Fonda, who watched in horror as a flash flood scooped away his back yard in 2006. With boulders and rocks still piled up in the stream and under the bridge today, he said that situation could lead to the bridge's failure.

"Before, when my kids used to play under the bridge, you could stand up and couldn't touch the ceiling. Now you have to duck."

After the storm, city, state and National Guard personnel removed boulders and rocks from under the 44-foot-long bridge. But clearance today is still limited, from about three feet on one end to about six feet on the other.

In the event of heavy rainfall, the water would have nowhere to go and could only result in flooding and property damage upstream, residents at the meeting agreed.

"I can see where if this situation continues, it will eventually wash this whole area out," said James Swift, who lives higher up on the stream.

BRIDGE WORK DUE

The state Department of Transportation, which is responsible for Hawai'i bridges, said the Makaua Bridge is not structurally deficient, but more could be done to improve water flow.

"I think the issue now is to see if we can clear a wider space underneath the bridge to allow the water to flow better," said Scott Ishikawa, DOT spokesman.

The bridge is scheduled for rehabilitation, with design work starting next year and construction in 2013 or 2014, he said, adding that sidewalks and lanes would be widened.

"As part of the design, they are required to check for everything, including stream flow to see if any changes need to be made," Ishikawa said.

A flash flood in the stream on March 1, 2006, caused severe erosion and flooding that threatened eight homes, the bridge and utilities, during last year's 40-day downpour that affected mostly Windward communities and Kaua'i.

In the area from Ka'a'awa to Hau'ula, streets and homes flooded, cesspools overflowed and roads were closed, forcing some people to go halfway around the island to get home.

Eric Lee, of the Army Corp of Engineers, said nearly 20 inches of rain fell on Makaua Stream in one 24-hour period, exceeding the expected 100-year rainfall event by four inches.

350 FEET OF ROCK WALL

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service are working to develop a plan to remove tons of debris and install three segments of rock wall totaling 350 feet along 750 feet of the stream.

The project, financed through the U.S. Emergency Watershed Protection Program, had to meet strict criteria to be eligible for the funding.

"The main criteria is it needs to reduce the threat to life and property," said Carty Chang, branch chief for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Engineering Division.

Officials presented the project and timeline at a Ka'a'awa Elementary School meeting.

Makaua Stream is one of three in Hawai'i that qualified for special funding through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service program. Wailapa and Kilauea streams on Kaua'i are slated for debris and sediment removal at a cost of $5.34 million.

The federal government will pay 75 percent of the project cost and the state DLNR and Civil Defense will pay 25 percent. The state share is already available through an emergency appropriation intended for remedial work caused by last year's flooding.

RIGHT-OF-ENTRY NEEDED

The design is scheduled to be done by January, and construction must start by June 30, when the state appropriation expires. The project is expected to be completed by November 2008.

But before any more work can be done on Makaua Stream, the state needs a right-of-entry from landowners because the stream is privately owned. And before any work can be done, landowners will have to indemnify the government and agree to maintain the project.

"If we can't get an agreement with the landowners, there probably won't be a project," said Eric Hirano, DLNR chief engineer. "There is emergency federal and state money to assist the landowners on a one-time basis. After this, it's really the responsibility of the landowners to take care of their portion of the stream."

Several residents thought the project would cost more than is available, but Hirano said he will push to get the design done by January in case the state has to ask for more money for the project.

With the project limited to the lower end of the stream, some residents thought the state might be shortsighted to remove only debris there and not consider piles of material stuck upstream.

A big rain will just move that stuff down, taking neighboring property along with it, said Gerald Palermo.

He would like the state to reconsider where the walls would go or at least help other residents build rock walls.

"I'd rather have it taken care of now rather than come back in five years later after another storm," said Palermo.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.