He kahua hoʻokele wai kahi i hoʻopili ʻia ai ka wai āpau a i ʻole ka hapa nui o ka wai hana e nā hale paʻa wai ma ka muliwai.

ʻO nā kikowaena mana wai ʻano pā e pili ana i nā kikowaena mana wai e kūkulu ana i nā hale paʻa wai ma ka muliwai e hana i kahi waihona wai, e hoʻohui i ka wai kūlohelohe e hoʻokiʻekiʻe i ka pae wai, a hoʻohana i ka ʻokoʻa poʻo e hana i ka uila. ʻO ka hiʻohiʻona nui, ʻo ia ka hoʻohui ʻia ʻana o ka pā a me ka hale hana mana wai ma ka ʻāpana muliwai pōkole hoʻokahi.
ʻO ka hapa nui, ʻo nā kikowaena mana wai ʻano pā ka hoʻokomo ʻana i nā hale mālama wai, nā hale hoʻokahe wai, nā paipu kaomi, nā mea kanu mana, nā turbine, nā mīkini hana a me nā lako kōkua. ʻO ka hapa nui o nā kikowaena mana wai me nā pā ma ke ʻano he mau hale mālama wai he mau kikowaena mana wai poʻo waena-kiʻekiʻe, a ʻo ka hapa nui o nā kikowaena mana wai me nā puka pā ma ke ʻano he mau hale mālama wai he mau kikowaena mana wai poʻo haʻahaʻa. Ke kiʻekiʻe ʻole ke poʻo wai a ākea ka muliwai, hoʻohana pinepine ʻia ka hale hana mana ma ke ʻano he ʻāpana o ka hale mālama wai. Ua kapa ʻia hoʻi kēia ʻano kikowaena mana wai he kikowaena mana wai moena muliwai, ʻo ia hoʻi he kikowaena mana wai ʻano pā.
Wahi a ke kūlana pili o ka pā a me ka hale hana mana wai, hiki ke hoʻokaʻawale ʻia nā kikowaena mana wai ʻano pā i ʻelua mau ʻāpana: ʻano pā a me ka moena muliwai. Aia ka hale hana mana wai ʻano pā ma ka ʻaoʻao iho o ke kino pā, a hoʻohuli ʻia ka wai ma o ka paipu kaomi e hana i ka uila. ʻAʻole halihali ka hale hana ponoʻī i ke kaomi wai o uka. ʻO ka hale mana, ka pā, ke ala hoʻokahe a me nā hale ʻē aʻe o ke kahua mana wai moena muliwai ua kūkulu ʻia ma ka moena muliwai. He ʻāpana lākou o ka hale paʻa wai a halihali i ke kaomi wai o uka. He mea kōkua kēlā ʻano hoʻonohonoho i ka mālama ʻana i ka hoʻopukapuka kālā holoʻokoʻa o ka papahana.

ʻO ka maʻamau, kiʻekiʻe ka pā o ke kahua hydropower ma hope o ka pā. ʻO ka mea mua, hoʻohana ʻia ke poʻo kiʻekiʻe e hoʻonui i ka mana i hoʻokomo ʻia o ke kahua mana, hiki ke hoʻololi pono i nā koi hoʻoponopono kiʻekiʻe o ka ʻōnaehana mana; ʻo ka lua, aia kahi mana waihona nui e hoʻoponopono i ke kahe kiʻekiʻe e hōʻemi i ke kaomi kaohi wai o ka muliwai ma lalo; ʻo ke kolu, ʻoi aku ka nui o nā pono āpau. ʻO ka hemahema, ʻo ia ka piʻi ʻana o ka pohō wai ma ka ʻāpana waihona a he paʻakikī ka neʻe ʻana a me ka noho hou ʻana o nā kamaʻāina kūlanakauhale a me nā kuaʻāina. No laila, ʻo nā kahua hydropower ma hope o ka pā me nā pā kiʻekiʻe a me nā waihona nui i kūkulu nui ʻia ma nā awāwa mauna kiʻekiʻe, nā wahi me ke kahe nui o ka wai a me ke kahe liʻiliʻi.
ʻO ka hapa nui o nā kikowaena hydropower nui ma hope o nā pā wai i kūkulu ʻia ma ka honua e kau nui ʻia ana ma koʻu ʻāina. ʻO ka mea mua ʻo ia ke kahua hydropower ʻekolu ʻo Gorges, me ka huina o ka mana i hoʻokomo ʻia he 22.5 miliona kilowatts. Ma waho aʻe o nā pono hana mana nui, loaʻa pū i ke kahua hydropower ʻekolu ʻo Gorges nā pono piha o ka hōʻoia ʻana i ka kaohi ʻana i ke kahe ma nā wahi waena a me nā wahi haʻahaʻa o ka muliwai ʻo Yangtze, e hoʻomaikaʻi ana i ka hoʻokele a me ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā kumuwaiwai wai, a ua kapa ʻia ʻo "nā lako kaumaha o ka ʻāina."