In response to the deadly outbreak of avian botulism at Kahana pond (The Maui News, June 23): It has always seemed tragic that you can stand next to the clear-running irrigation ditch and look onto the water-starved pools of Kahana Pond less that 100 feet away.
Wetlands have the ability to filter toxins, provide haven for wildlife and act as a buffer for flooding, but not without a healthy connection to water supply. Avian botulism thrives in unhealthy, low-oxygenated stagnant water. It is reasonable to assume that if this diverted stream water was allowed to flow through, instead of around, the Kahana Pond, such a tragic outbreak would be less likely to be occurring.
Why is this fresh water, which just ends up flowing unused into the ocean near by, not rerouted back into the wetlands that it likely fed before it was diverted for agriculture so long ago?
Roger Kaholokula Pleasanton McKinley
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