At the recent Dec. 12 meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the city about the Ala Wai flood control project, the public response was overwhelmingly against the proposed massive walls.

The iconic views across the Ala Wai from street level will be blocked by a 6-foot wall, the two miles of the canal will be enclosed and inaccessible except for a few door passages for canoes. Paddlers will see only walls and the tops of high rises as they go down the entire length of the Ala Wai as the canal is several feet lower than the proposed walls.

A better solution would include regularly scheduled increased stream maintenance, clearing of invasive trees and native forest restoration as essential parts of the plan. The recent Aina Haina, Woodlawn and Haleiwa floods, used to justify this report, were all caused by blockages in streams primarily due to lack of maintenance.

Not only does the USACE fail to recognize the value that our forests can play in reducing flood risks, but it also ignores the mechanics of our storm drain system, which is the responsibility of the city.

Much of the flooding in Moiiliili and Waikiki comes from the storm drain systems that the USACE, due to its narrow mandate of addressing only riverine flooding, cannot address.

Will Waikiki really be protected? Once the water level in the canal, due to the proposed 6-foot walls, rises above the ground level storm drain system, water in Waikiki will not be able to drain into the Ala Wai. What happens if during this potential flood, in addition to rain in Waikiki, there is storm surge or king tides? Where will water in Waikiki then go?

Waikiki businesses are already dealing with a predicted sea level rise of 1.5 feet to 5 feet. The USACE refuses to say how these existing Waikiki remediation efforts relate to their plan. Is this plan even necessary for Waikiki once Waikiki becomes ready for what seems to be inevitable sea level rise?

More than $1 billion is a lot of concrete, plus USACE does not rule out potential pumps that will increase the cost.

Past professional testimony pointed out that the city’s $370 million, one-third share of the project cost, could be used to develop a comprehensive and responsive plan, even without the federal dollars.

The USACE has been receptive to some local input but, along with the city, needs to further research and reevaluate the circumstances and viable alternatives to this current proposal.

Alternatives such as the SWIFT tunnels, pumps and gates, opening up the Ala Wai at the Kaimana end, will ensure the Ala Wai will continues to be of useful value to Honolulu and not just another expensive project that ignores the immediate concern of sea level rise.

Hawaii’s U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz should help the city, state, private sector and public come together and build on the work that has been done so we can develop the best plan for the Ala Wai. Hawaii has the chance with our multicultural knowledge base to become a leader in flood control solutions and not simply repeat outdated concrete channeling methodology.

Sidney Lynch is president of Protect Our Ala Wai Watersheds.