West Maui Watershed: Regional Scale

Collaborative Planning In Hawaii

Beth Dieveney & Kathy ChastonNOAA CRCP & USCRTF

Coastal Zone 2011July 20, 2011

Pacific Island Watersheds

Choosing a Site NFWF Sponsored Survey of Pacific sites:•Willingness to Invest

•Non-monetary needs

•Significant barriers to conservation

•Watershed threats

•Capacity to conduct work (local, federal, NGO, other)

•Ability to monitor progress

Ka’anapali, West Maui

Identified Issues•Decrease in coral cover•Invasive algae•Low abundance of herbivorous fish on reefs•Injection wells •Agricultural runoff & land-use change•Feral ungulates•Increased tourism •Freshwater resources• Lack of coordination

West Maui Watershed Vision:Connecting Land and Sea

Improve the overall quality of the West MauiWatershed, from the summit of Pu`u Kukui tothe outer reef, incorporating holisticmanagement aspects of traditional Hawaiian land and natural resource management (such asahupua’a principles) at the watershed levelwithin a modern context.

West Maui Watershed Plan - GoalsProject will be driven by stakeholder participation and will:

• Identify critical threats to reefs and watershed health

• Evaluate solutions to these threats from ridge to reef

• Prioritize actions, and implement restoration or remedial actions

West Maui Watershed Plan - Outcomes• Improvement in the overall quality of the West Maui Watershed,

coral reefs, and water quality.

• Enhanced management and collaboration through greater interagency communication, improved data sharing, education of scientists and government officials, and building local technical capacity.

History• 1997 – West Maui Management Advisory Committee completes

West Maui Watershed Owners Manual• 2002 – DOFAW requests Corps assistance with wetland/stream

restoration under Corps small projects (funds never received nationally)

• 2004 - DAR Land Based Pollution Threat to Coral Reefs - Local Action Strategy sets Honolua as a Priority Area

• 2009 –– DAR Coral Program identifies Ka‘anapali as 1 of 2 priority areas – Corps receives line item appropriation for West Maui Project

(reconnaissance phase)– Interagency collaboration on a joint plan begins via ORMP and Hawaii

Coral Reef Working Group

• 2011- USCRTF Priority Partnership Designation

West Maui Watershed Project“Promoting Collaboration and Stewardship”

• Sponsors:♦ USACE♦ DLNR (DAR, DOFAW, CWRM)♦ DOH

• Funding ♦ Non-federal match mainly in-kind♦ Approval to use in-kind activities

funded by EPA and NOAA CRCP

Other Partners♦ NRCS♦ Hawaiian Humpback National Marine Sanctuary ♦ Hawaii CZM♦ Maui County♦ West Maui Mountains Watershed Partnership ♦ West Maui Soil and Water Conservation District♦ The Nature Conservancy♦ Maui Land and Pineapple Company

Hawaii DLNR: Project management, lead development and implementation of specific components of West Maui Watershed Plan depending on agency mandate and expertise

ACOE: Facilitate Development of West Maui Watershed Management Plan

NOAA: Watershed Plan for Ka’anapali to Kahekili, West Maui and implementation of a stormwater demonstration project.

EPA: Water quality monitoring and permitting to assess and potentially regulate pollution levels

USDA: Funds for conservation practice implementation in the Kaanapali-Kahekili watershed.

USGS: Examine source and content of groundwater discharge

Partnership Initiative 2012 Plans•Support hiring of a locally based watershed coordinator

•Implement “low-hanging fruit” in short-term via collaborative financing/planning

What’s Next?• Coastal User Mapping Process – DAR/NOAA

• Conservation Action Plans – TNC/DAR/NOAA

• Ka‘anapli Watershed Plan – NOAA– USACE sponsored plan will expand on breadth and detail of this assessment to

meet other requirements

• Lahaina WWTF Groundwater Tracer Study – DOH/EPA/Corps

• Priority EQUIP Funding – NRCS

• Potential Implementation Funds – NFWF

Questions?

Contacts:Kathy Chaston (NOAA): kathy.chaston@noaa.govCindy Barger (USACE): Cindy.S.Barger@usace.army.milLuna Kekoa (HI DAR): Edward.L.Kekoa@hawaii.gov