NORTH SHORE — With ownership of the Wahiawa Reservoir about to change hands, farmers and legislators are seeking state control of the water source as a way to ensure continued agriculture production from Wahiawa to Waialua and Hale'iwa.

At stake are hundreds of acres of land and hundreds more that have lain fallow after sugar-cane farming died and pineapple production waned.

As diversified agriculture is spreading throughout the North Shore, farmers say more cheap water is needed and the reservoir, better known as Lake Wilson, is the best option. The changing agricultural industry includes farms of all sizes growing such products as corn, asparagus, tomatoes, herbs, bitter melon, papaya, tuberose, beef, taro and nursery plants.

"The North Shore can be the breadbasket for O'ahu," said Susan Matsushima, owner of Alluvion Nursery and Florist. Given the pace of development in other places, the North Shore could be the best hope for agriculture in the Islands, she said.

But time may be running out.

Half of the reservoir property is for sale as part of the scheduled dissolution next month of the owner, the Galbraith Trust. There's no way to know what the new owner may want to do with the reservoir.

A bill last year by which the state would acquire the property languished but has gained momentum this year. House Bill 844 HD1 has won state House approval and now seeks support in the Senate.

Rather than face the uncertainty of a new owner, farmers approached the entities that own the reservoir, the Galbraith Trust and Dole Food Co., along with one of the largest water users, Kamehameha Schools, to discuss giving the reservoir to the state.

Officials with Bank of Hawaii, which serves as the trustee of the Galbraith trust, said they couldn't comment. But in testimony on the bill to acquire the reservoir, the trustee was amenable to the gift if it could be done before the trust terminates on April 26.

"Although the trust supports the underlying concepts of HB 844, the trust cannot speak for whoever the new owner of the property might be," said bank vice president Josie Bidgood in testimony to the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources and Hawaiian Affairs.

The gift proposal was presented to the Agribusiness Development Corp., which is attached to the state Department of Agriculture.

ADC is conducting a $100,000 study to determine whether the state should take charge, said Alfredo Lee, ADC executive director. But the study won't be completed until August or September.

The state and residents eventually will have to answer the questions about the future of the North Shore, whether agriculture will remain and how much people are willing to support that and accept any possible liability, Lee said.

"Do we want the North Shore ... in agriculture, where there's open space and green area, or do we let it turn into a dust bowl and development?" he asked.

Dan Nellis, operations director at Dole, said having a single owner for the reservoir would be best for the resource. Dole leases the Galbraith portion of the lake but will have to deal with a new owner once the estate is settled.

"We think that one owner, being the state of Hawai'i, could nurture the system and be a fair administrator of the water," Nellis said, adding that Dole will continue farming and would want water in exchange for the property. The state has the expertise and the experience to operate the system, he said.

With the anniversary of the Kaloko Dam breaching last week, the stability of the reservoir is on the minds of many. In bills before legislators, lawmakers are beefing up dam inspections, repair and maintenance, and moving to acquire the Wahiawa Reservoir.

"We need to act on it right away because we never know what tomorrow brings," said state Rep. Michael Magaoay, D-46 (Schofield, Mokule'ia, North Shore).

The Legislature is considering bills to purchase or accept the reservoir, increase the number of dam inspectors and to spend $11 million for repair and maintenance of reservoirs, including $1.5 million for the Wahiawa Reservoir.

"We want to make sure, as we move forward with all these bills, that it's in the hands of the state and we'll be more accountable," Magaoay said.

Michael Lyons, chairman of the North Shore Neighborhood Board, said he's concerned about the reservoir and dam and wants to know who will be responsible for structures given the expected change of ownership.

"If it breaks, it could wipe out Waialua," Lyons said. "It would take the water 20 minutes to get down here. People have said this is not a good situation. You're surviving on a prayer."

The reservoir falls under several jurisdictions. Dole Foods maintains and operates it. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources that oversees dam inspections has a recreational fishery, state park and boat ramp there. The city dumps treated sewage into the lake.

Until a bad infestation of Salvinia molesta — an aquatic weed — covered the lake in 2002, Lake Wilson was a relatively unknown local body of water. The lake was closed from January 2002 until November 2003 as the state spent $1 million working with the city and the military to clear the plant pest from the water.

Nellis said the reservoir and dam are in good condition and have been inspected twice this year. Plus, Dole Foods conducts its own inspections and gives the results to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.