Puu Lua Reservoir

About Puu Lua Reservoir

The primary purpose of Puu Lua Reservoir is fish and wildlife pond. The dam creates habitat for fish and wildlife, supporting local ecosystems and potentially serving conservation goals. The dam is owned by Hawaii Dept Of Land & Natural Resources (state). It impounds the Tr-haelele Stream Offstream near Kekaha.

The dam stands 110 feet tall and stretches 640 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 12 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 888 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1925, the structure is over a century old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/30/2024.

At 110 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Hawaii dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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