Waimanalo Watershed: Limitations & Opportunities for Restoration
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Waimanalo Waimanalo Watershed:Watershed:
Limitations and Opportunities Limitations and Opportunities for Restorationfor Restoration
2008 HACD Conference
Todd Cullison
Kailua Bay Advisory Council
OutlineOutline Kailua Bay Advisory CouncilKailua Bay Advisory Council Watershed issues: 303 (d) listWatershed issues: 303 (d) list KBAC’s Watershed Action PlanKBAC’s Watershed Action Plan LimitationsLimitations OpportunitiesOpportunities Next stepsNext steps
Waimanalo Stream below Kalaniana'ole Hwy.
Kailua Bay Advisory Kailua Bay Advisory CouncilCouncil
Formed in 1995 as a result of Formed in 1995 as a result of lawsuitlawsuit
Resulting Consent Decree outlined Resulting Consent Decree outlined three program areas:three program areas: Implementation ProgramImplementation Program Technical Program (research)Technical Program (research) Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring
ProgramProgram
Watershed IssuesWatershed Issues303 (d) list for303 (d) list forNutrientsNutrientsTurbidityTurbiditySuspended solids Suspended solids
Other watershed pollutantsOther watershed pollutantsChlorofluorocarbons, pesticides, Chlorofluorocarbons, pesticides, temperature, heavy metals, petroleum-temperature, heavy metals, petroleum-based hydrocarbons and bacteria may based hydrocarbons and bacteria may exceed standards (HDOH, 2001)exceed standards (HDOH, 2001)
TMDL completed in 2001for TMDL completed in 2001for Waimanalo WatershedWaimanalo Watershed
Watershed Restoration Watershed Restoration Action StrategyAction Strategy
EPA based plan, focused primarily on EPA based plan, focused primarily on NPS NPS KBAC investigated all 20 sub-basins KBAC investigated all 20 sub-basins in the Koolaupoko moku: Makapu'u – in the Koolaupoko moku: Makapu'u – Kualoa, EPA Priority WatershedKualoa, EPA Priority WatershedWaimanalo, Kawa and Kaneohe have Waimanalo, Kawa and Kaneohe have completed TMDLscompleted TMDLsOther basins have more/less dataOther basins have more/less dataRestoration/BMP recommendations Restoration/BMP recommendations based on TMDLs, other research & based on TMDLs, other research & GIS landscape analysesGIS landscape analyses
HabitatHabitatQuestionQuestion: Is the stream/watershed : Is the stream/watershed truly receiving an excess of truly receiving an excess of pollutants or have significant habitat pollutants or have significant habitat changes altered the stream’s ability changes altered the stream’s ability to assimilate/filter pollutants?to assimilate/filter pollutants?
Waimanalo Stream below Kalaniana'ole Hwy.
Potential Sources of NPS Potential Sources of NPS pollutantspollutants
SedimentSediment: Erosion of streambank : Erosion of streambank (NRCS, 2005), road cuts, road (NRCS, 2005), road cuts, road ditches, steep upland erosionditches, steep upland erosion
NutrientsNutrients: animal waste and : animal waste and inorganic chemical fertilizers are inorganic chemical fertilizers are contributors as well as antiquated contributors as well as antiquated cesspools (HDOH, 2001) cesspools (HDOH, 2001)
Waimanalo Stream- bank erosion
Photo courtesy of NRCS
LimitationsLimitationsNPS: Hard to track through watershedNPS: Hard to track through watershed
Lack comprehensive understanding of what Lack comprehensive understanding of what single contributor is most significant (i.e. single contributor is most significant (i.e. streambank erosion vs. road-cuts vs. upland streambank erosion vs. road-cuts vs. upland erosion vs. natural background erosion)erosion vs. natural background erosion)
Many small ag producers potentially apply Many small ag producers potentially apply fertilizers vs. a few large producers (time and fertilizers vs. a few large producers (time and effort to understand sources)effort to understand sources)
Limited financial/technical resources to Limited financial/technical resources to implement Conservation Plansimplement Conservation Plans
Lack of coordination among agencies, Lack of coordination among agencies, community and organizations community and organizations
Access to watershedAccess to watershed
General OpportunitiesGeneral Opportunities
More data in Waimanalo Stream More data in Waimanalo Stream than most Koolaupoko moku streams than most Koolaupoko moku streams (TMDLs, academia, agency research) (TMDLs, academia, agency research)
Conservation Plans are written via Conservation Plans are written via SWCD/NRCSSWCD/NRCS
Restoration funds via federal Restoration funds via federal programs (EQIP, WHIP)programs (EQIP, WHIP)
Agencies, community groups and Agencies, community groups and interested landowners addressing interested landowners addressing concernsconcerns
General OpportunitiesGeneral Opportunities
Work closely with NRCS, SWCD, Work closely with NRCS, SWCD, RC&D and ag producers to implement RC&D and ag producers to implement written conservation/farm planswritten conservation/farm plans
Link grant funds with NRCS programs Link grant funds with NRCS programs to help cover landowner’s share of to help cover landowner’s share of paymentpayment
Create programs for community Create programs for community involvement (clean-ups, tree planting, involvement (clean-ups, tree planting, educational events, etc.)educational events, etc.)
Project OpportunitiesProject Opportunities
Precision Riparian Buffers—Precision Riparian Buffers—migrating, variable width buttermigrating, variable width butter
Soil, slope, landcoverSoil, slope, landcover Large landowners >1,000 acresLarge landowners >1,000 acres
Channelized, investigate, restoration Channelized, investigate, restoration and preserveand preserve
Based on aerial interpretation of Based on aerial interpretation of riparian habitat/landownershipriparian habitat/landownership Restore 44 acres/18 hectaresRestore 44 acres/18 hectares Preserve 239 acres/97 hectares Preserve 239 acres/97 hectares
(watershed)(watershed)
Project Opportunities, Project Opportunities, con’tcon’t
Habitat improvement in lower section Habitat improvement in lower section of Waimanalo Stream throughout of Waimanalo Stream throughout Bellows Bellows Increase sinuosity of Waimanalo Stream, Increase sinuosity of Waimanalo Stream,
reconnect stream with floodplainreconnect stream with floodplain Freshwater and estuarine wetland Freshwater and estuarine wetland
restoration opportunitiesrestoration opportunities Filter pollutants before entering near Filter pollutants before entering near
shore environmentshore environment
Project opportunities, Project opportunities, con’tcon’t
Ag producers are key to restoration Ag producers are key to restoration successsuccess
Work with producers to implement BMPs Work with producers to implement BMPs and conservation plans on ag landsand conservation plans on ag lands
Link together small landowners to Link together small landowners to monitor success or implement adaptive monitor success or implement adaptive management of BMPsmanagement of BMPs
Monitor to determine if cesspools are Monitor to determine if cesspools are significant contributorssignificant contributors
Next StepsNext Steps
Create opportunities Create opportunities and partnerships with and partnerships with agencies, landowners agencies, landowners and communityand community
Work with Work with landowners/producerlandowners/producers regarding benefits s regarding benefits of BMPs and of BMPs and restoration in context restoration in context of triple bottom-line:of triple bottom-line:
Economy/profitsEconomy/profits
EnvironmentEnvironment
CommunityCommunity
ContactContact
Todd CullisonTodd Cullison tcullison@hawaii.rr.comtcullison@hawaii.rr.com
277-5611 p277-5611 p 262-6242 f262-6242 f
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