What is Watershed Planning?
A watershed is the area of land where all of the rain that falls onto it and drains off of it goes into the same body of water. Rainfall is either absorbed into the ground where it is used by plants or flows underground towards streams or the ocean, or runs across the surface and collects in small rivulets that combine to form gulches and streams that eventually flow into the ocean. A watershed’s boundaries are defined by its topography, and in Hawai‘i most watersheds are clearly defined by the ridgelines that extend from the tops of the mountains to the ocean shoreline.
An ahupua‘a and watershed area share a similar topographical delineation, with the major difference that the ahupua‘a land division extends past the shoreline to the coral reefs. In ancient Hawai‘i the division of land was based on hierarchy of mokupuni, an entire island, moku, a district on the island, and ahupua‘a. Each moku was comprised of several ahupua‘a; the number varied and was tied to resource abundance. Management of an ahupua‘a was overseen by a konohiki who insured that natural resources were used sustainably.
Planning within a watershed context is an effective means of addressing water quality issues. The watershed planning process includes stakeholder involvement and development of management actions supported by sound science and appropriate technology. Current watershed planning efforts
in Hawai‘i draw from traditional ahupua‘a management concepts including aloha (respect), laulima (cooperation), and malama (stewardship) to achieve a desirable pono (balance).
An ahupua‘a and watershed area share a similar topographical delineation, with the major difference that the ahupua‘a land division extends past the shoreline to the coral reefs. In ancient Hawai‘i the division of land was based on hierarchy of mokupuni, an entire island, moku, a district on the island, and ahupua‘a. Each moku was comprised of several ahupua‘a; the number varied and was tied to resource abundance. Management of an ahupua‘a was overseen by a konohiki who insured that natural resources were used sustainably.
Planning within a watershed context is an effective means of addressing water quality issues. The watershed planning process includes stakeholder involvement and development of management actions supported by sound science and appropriate technology. Current watershed planning efforts
in Hawai‘i draw from traditional ahupua‘a management concepts including aloha (respect), laulima (cooperation), and malama (stewardship) to achieve a desirable pono (balance).
What is the Wahikuli-Honokowai Watershed Management Plan?
The Wahikuli-Honokowai Watershed Management Plan (WMP) is an initial evaluation being conducted as part of the partnership for the West Maui Ridge to Reef Inititiative. The WMP is being developed for two West Maui watersheds, Honokowai and Wahikuli, located in the Ka‘anapali Region, to address the impacts of land-based pollutants on coral reefs. Sustainable Resources Group Intn’l, Inc. (SRGII) worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP), its project partners (i.e., State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources (DLNR-DAR); State of Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH); US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA); US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE); US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); and West Maui Mountains Watershed Partnership (WMMWP)), and other stakeholders to develop the WMP. The WMP was prepared using EPA’s nine required elements for watershed plans.
The primary objectives of the WMP are to identify sources of land-based pollutants and develop actions to remediate them to reduce stress on coral reefs. Land-based pollutants include sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants that are transported in surface and ground water and deposited in the ocean. Pollutant sources are the result of a watershed’s land uses, its physical condition, and human activities. They may include fertilizers and pesticides; erosion from unvegetated areas and unstable stream channels; petrochemicals; and partially treated sewage.The WMP focuses on lands located between the shoreline and mid-elevations of the two watersheds. This area is comprised primarily of urban resort properties and fallow agricultural lands that may be developed in the future.
The results will be used to help prioritize actions that will be implemented by the partners in the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative in cooperation with the community. The larger West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative (R2R Initiative) will incorporate the Wahikuli-Honokowai WMP and expand on it in geographic scope and detail. Click here for more information on the larger R2R Initiative.
The primary objectives of the WMP are to identify sources of land-based pollutants and develop actions to remediate them to reduce stress on coral reefs. Land-based pollutants include sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants that are transported in surface and ground water and deposited in the ocean. Pollutant sources are the result of a watershed’s land uses, its physical condition, and human activities. They may include fertilizers and pesticides; erosion from unvegetated areas and unstable stream channels; petrochemicals; and partially treated sewage.The WMP focuses on lands located between the shoreline and mid-elevations of the two watersheds. This area is comprised primarily of urban resort properties and fallow agricultural lands that may be developed in the future.
The results will be used to help prioritize actions that will be implemented by the partners in the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative in cooperation with the community. The larger West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative (R2R Initiative) will incorporate the Wahikuli-Honokowai WMP and expand on it in geographic scope and detail. Click here for more information on the larger R2R Initiative.
