{"id":6312,"date":"2022-11-18T06:39:16","date_gmt":"2022-11-18T14:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coral.org\/?p=6312"},"modified":"2025-05-12T07:28:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T14:28:45","slug":"advancing-mauis-watershed-restoration-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/advancing-mauis-watershed-restoration-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Advancing Maui\u2019s Watershed Restoration Project\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Updated May 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maui\u2019s coral ecosystems are some of the most vibrant and resilient in Hawai\u2018i \u2014 but they\u2019re also facing immense pressure. Years of sediment runoff from historic agriculture continue to disrupt the delicate relationship between land and sea. That\u2019s why, in Olowalu, we\u2019re taking bold, community-led action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), we\u2019re working alongside local partners and cultural stewards to tackle the biggest threat to West Maui\u2019s reefs: land-based pollution. Building on successful work in Wahikuli, our latest efforts focus on reforesting degraded riparian zones in the Olowalu ahupua\u2018a \u2014 a powerful ridge-to-reef strategy rooted in both science and traditional ecological knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Olowalu?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Spanning 812 acres, Olowalu Reef is a designated \u201cHope Spot\u201d by Dr. Sylvia Earle and plays a critical role in seeding nearby reefs around Maui, Lana\u2018i, Moloka\u2018i, and Kaho\u2018olawe. With its unusually high coral cover, resilience to bleaching events, and importance to local fisheries, it\u2019s one of the most essential marine habitats in the Hawaiian Islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just uphill, though, the landscape tells another story. Degraded watersheds and invasive stream habitats toward the coastline during storms \u2014 smothering corals, fueling algal overgrowth, and unraveling the balance of reef ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restoring the Ahupua\u2018a<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the next three years, we\u2019re taking a full ahupua\u2018a approach \u2014 restoring the land to protect the ocean. That means thinning out the tree canopy to allow sunlight through, reinforcing streambanks with ground covers, installing native vegetation like pili grass to slow water flow, and creating conditions for long-term soil stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the reef side, we\u2019re tracking ecosystem health with temperature sensors and sediment traps \u2014 all to better understand how changes upstream affect the marine environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this work is about more than just monitoring equipment and native planting. We\u2019re supporting community partners to strengthen restoration and long-term data collection while cultural practices remain at every level. For example, lo\u2019i kalo (wetland taro) patches along the riparian zone allow sediment to be filtered before water is returned to the stream while allowing cultural practices to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By pairing indigenous wisdom with science-based strategies, we\u2019re collectively creating a conservation model that\u2019s truly rooted in place \u2014 and built to endure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What We\u2019re Learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In our first phase, we\u2019ve already made big strides: preparing key sites, clearing debris, starting native seedlings, and nurturing the first wave of native plants. Baseline monitoring stations now track conditions both on land and beneath the waves, giving us a clear starting point to measure progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s next? Riparian restoration along the entire Olowalu stream, coral surveys, community outreach for marine management planning, and sharing our findings across the state so others can adapt and build on what we\u2019re learning in Olowalu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why It Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Economically, coral reefs contribute over $800 million to Hawai\u2018i\u2019s economy each year through tourism, and over $900 million in shoreline protection value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond dollars, every streambank we reforest helps keep sediment off the reef. Every native plant we restore filters water for future generations. Every partner we work with is equipped to carry this work forward long after the project ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These aren\u2019t just environmental wins \u2014 they\u2019re community wins. Cleaner water means safer fishing. Stronger reefs mean food security. A healthy ahupua\u2018a means honoring cultural traditions and protecting what makes Maui, Maui.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, this project extends beyond coral reefs. It fosters connection between people and place, ridge and reef, past and future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our monitoring efforts are already generating valuable data that will inform future watershed management across Hawai\u2018i. And through hands-on restoration, we\u2019re not just restoring land \u2014 we\u2019re restoring community capacity, cultural practices, and long-term resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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