It's an emergency project which could cost millions.

But the state says work on a stream in Kaaawa is necessary to avoid imminent danger.

Mother Nature showed her fury in March of last year.

Millions of gallons of water took away tons of land surrounding the Makaua stream in Kaaawa.

But the severe flooding of '06 didn't just take, it left as well.

"We thought we were hearing thunder where it was actually boulders being bounced down the river. And these boulders were half the size of a Volkswagen. I mean they were enormous," said Gerald Palermo, who lives next to the stream.

"It's cleaned out with the flooding water, but there are still boulders there, and the banks need to be replaced," said David Ballard, who also lives next to the stream.

Dangerous conditions have led the state to step in to offer relief for Kaaawa residents.

"The emergency project really deals with removing the imminent threats to life and property. So, removing the debris and clearing the floodway of the stream is paramount consideration," said Eric Hirano, Department of Land and Natural Resources.

But there is a catch. The stream is privately owned. That means more than two dozen land owners will have to sign off on the project.

"We want to form a partnership with the owners because that's going to be the key in allowing us access to the properties, and of course after that they're going to have to be the one who maintain the stream," said Hirano.

And so residents like Gerald Palermo got their first look at the plans on Wednesday night at a meeting Kaaawa Elementary School.

Residents are wondering exactly what will be done in their backyards to ensure a safer future.

"It depends on what they want to do. i mean what do you want to do? Do you just want to put up a vertical concrete wall? Do you want to do a terrace? Do you want to maintain the meandering slope of the stream? Do you want to straighten it out?" said Palermo.

One thing is for certain, federal funds have been secured to pay for 75 percent of the project. The state will pick up the additional 25 percent.

1.3 million dollars have already been set aside for the planning of the project, with the federal government's portion coming out to a million dollars.

The actual work, if it is signed off on by all the residents could run into the millions.