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