Water Rights
Ola I Ka Wai, Water is Life
The right to access traditional sources of water for Hawaiian Home Lands leases and Hawaiian crops, most notably kalo (taro), has been a pressing concern for Native Hawaiian communities and farmers. The right to adequate water for traditional Hawaiian crops is attached to land awards issued during the mid-1800s by the Hawaiian Kingdom. State statutory law also safeguards these rights. NHLC has assisted many farmers with asserting these rights, most recently in East Maui.
If you have a legal issue and would like to see if we can help you, please call our office at (808) 521-2302 or contact us using our Contact Form.
Contact
Ashley Obrey
Senior Staff Attorney
Resources
- Ola i ka Wai: A Legal Primer for Water Use and Management in Hawai‘i (PDF) by Dr. Kapua Sproat from the Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law
News + Insights
On July 21, 2026, the Environmental Court again reversed the State’s approval of continued water diversions from East Maui, reaffirming important constitutional and public trust protections for Native Hawaiian practices and East Maui ...
Water is a resource held in trust for the people of Hawaiʻi. The public trust doctrine prioritizes Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices and the health of free-flowing streams and coastal life over ...
On September 19, 2023, the Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) held its first meeting following Maui’s wildfires, the governor’s temporary suspension of the water code, and the controversial “redeployment” of CWRM’s ...
