Maui Golf Courses Barred from Using Potable Water for Irrigation

Environmental group Earthjustice prevails in effort to prevent Kapalua Resort from tapping groundwater during drought

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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An environmental law firm has successfully challenged a decision by the former chair of Hawaii's Commission on Water Resource Management that allowed the owner of two Maui golf courses to use potable water for temporary irrigation during a drought affecting the courses' stream water supply. The new acting chair has now reversed that prior authorization, requiring the golf course owner to seek a new permit to use any new water source under the area's designation as a special water management zone.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between environmental concerns, recreational water use, and water scarcity issues in Hawaii, especially as the state grapples with the impacts of drought and climate change. The decision to bar the golf courses from using potable water for irrigation aims to prioritize public water supplies over private commercial interests.

The details

Earthjustice, an environmental law firm, objected to the prior authorization given by the former CWRM chair, Dawn Chang, that allowed the owner of the Plantation Course and Bay Course at Kapalua Resort to tap into potable groundwater for irrigation in 2022 amid a severe drought affecting the courses' stream water supply. Earthjustice argued that under the 2022 designation of West Maui as a special water management area, the golf course cannot legally switch to any new water source without a new permit, even if it was an allowed past use. The new acting CWRM chair, Ryan Kanaka'ole, has now informed the golf course owner, TY Management Corp., that any request to use an existing water source must go through the new permit process required for the special management area.

  • In August 2022, the former CWRM chair authorized the golf courses to use potable water for irrigation.
  • In November 2022, Earthjustice objected to the prior authorization given by the former CWRM chair.
  • In December 2022, the former CWRM chair, Dawn Chang, went on medical leave.
  • On March 3, 2026, the new acting CWRM chair, Ryan Kanaka'ole, informed TY Management Corp. that they must go through the new permit process to use any water source.

The players

Earthjustice

An environmental law firm that successfully challenged the former CWRM chair's authorization for the Kapalua golf courses to use potable water for irrigation.

TY Management Corp.

The owner of the Plantation Course and Bay Course at Kapalua Resort in Maui.

Dawn Chang

The former chair of the Hawaii Commission on Water Resource Management who authorized the golf courses to use potable water for irrigation.

Ryan Kanaka'ole

The new acting director of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and acting chair of the Commission on Water Resource Management.

Maui Land & Pineapple Inc.

The company that developed Kapalua Resort and previously owned the golf courses, which it sold to TY Management Corp. in 2009 and 2010.

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What they’re saying

“With the rest of West Maui living under water restrictions, the former chair threw public trust priorities out the window. She let a golf course, without a valid application, cut in line in front of everyone else, take drinking water for its grass, and take up all the commission's attention. By correcting this misstep and putting the law and the kamaaina community first, Chair Kanaka'ole has set the commission back on track toward pono (righteous) stewardship of Maui's water resources.”

— Dru Hara, Earthjustice attorney (Earthjustice)

What’s next

TY Management Corp. must now submit a request to the Commission on Water Resource Management that identifies a factual and legal basis for any claimed existing use of water sources, in order to be formally recognized pending the commission's action on a new permit for the golf courses under the special water management area designation.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing challenges of balancing environmental concerns, recreational water use, and water scarcity in Hawaii, especially as the state grapples with the impacts of drought. The decision to bar the Kapalua golf courses from using potable water for irrigation aims to prioritize public water supplies over private commercial interests, underscoring the need for sustainable water management practices in the face of climate change.