Hawaii Stream Assessment A Preliminary Appraisal of Hawaii’s Stream Resources A Cooperative Project The State of Hawaii Commission on Water Resource Management The National Park Service Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program Hawali Stream Assessment A Preliminary Appraisal of Hawaii’s Stream Resources Report R84 Prepared for COMMISSION ON WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT State of Hawaii By HAWAII COOPERATIVE PARK SERVICE UNIT Western Region Natural Resources and Research Division National Park Service Honolulu, Hawaii December 1990 JOHN WAIHEE Governor, State of Hawaii COMMISSION ON WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WILLIAM W. PATY, Chairperson JOHN LEWIN, M.D. MICHAEL 3. CHUN, Ph.D. ROBERT S. NAKATA RICHARD H. COX, RE. GUY FUJIMURA DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES WILLIAM W. PATY, Chairperson Commission on Water Resource Management MANABU TAGOMORI, RE. Deputy for Water Resource Management 4T Op IIq NATIONAL PARK SERVICE James Ridenour, Director WESTERN REGION Stanley t Albright Regional Director DIVISION OF PLANNING, GRANTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUAUTY James Huddleston RIVERS AND TRAILS CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Martha Crusius U Preface The 1988 Hawaii State Legislature provided the conceptual foundation for the Hawaii Stream Assessment by amending the 1987 Hawaii State Water Code. This amendment provided that the Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) “identify rivers or streams, or a portion of a river or stream, which appropriately may be placed within a wild and scenic rivers system, to be preserved and protected as part of the public trust ... the term ‘wild and scenic rivers’ means rivers or streams, or a portion of a river or stream, of high natural quality or that possess significant scenic value...” The Hawaii Stream Assessment (HSA) was made possible through the support of the National Park Service’s River and Trails Conservation Assistance Program. Additional support was providedby the DLNR’s Division of Water Resource Management, includ ing funding for the Hawaii Heritage Program’s development of the aquatic database. The report and its findings and the supporting database of information were prepared by the HSA Study Team which represented the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources and the US. National Park Service with the assistance of committees of experts representing federal and state agencies and private organizations. Streams were inventoried and then assessed for their values in four resource areas aquatic, riparian, cultural and recreation. These areas cover the beneficial instream uses defined in the State Water Code with the exception ofnavigation and the protection of traditional and customary Hawaiian rights. While the original intent was to also include important offstream uses, sufficient and verified information was not available in time for this study. it is our understanding that the State Commission on Water Resource Management will consider these missing elements along with the information in this report when making management decisions. In the judgement of the study team, the existing information, while limited, was sufficient to conclude that the state’s surface water resources are limited, fragile, and in need of protective management now. The Water Commission suggested alternatives for a wild and scenic river system be developed. It is important to note that, while alterna tives and recommendations are provided, this study does not initiate any action, protec tion, designation or zoning changes. The draft report was presented for public comment in September 1990. Public participation was lively, extensive and substantive, and the final report was revised to reflect these comments and concerns. m We hope the Hawaii Stream Assessment will help provide an overview of Hawaii’s surface water resources, allowing the evaluation of any given proposal to take place within a statewide context. This final report and the database are submitted to the Water Commission for its use in future decisions about the management of Hawaii’s perennial streams. Dr. Clifford W. Smith, Director Cooperative National Parks Resources Studies Unit University of Hawali Carol Wilcox, Project Coordinator Department of Land and Natural Resources State of Hawaii Sallie Edmunds, Project Coordinator Cooperative National Parks Resources Studies Unit University of Hawaii lv Acknowledgements T0 all those who in any manner contributed to the Hawaii Stream Assessment, the authors express their sincere thanks. But, as always in projects of this magnitude, certain individuals contributed far beyond the original commitment. Audrey Newman and Patty Kupchak provided the opportunity for extensive discussion and debate, as well as review and comment. Meredith Ching reminded us of the economic importance of streams. Luciana Honigman prepared the aquatic resource inventory data and bibliography. Maps and many of the tables were developed by Jane Lewis. Simon Chan did much of the data entry later assisted by Billy Tabuio. Susana Chang and Datta Bhanibare performed various desktop publishing tasks. Patricia Tummons assisted with editing. Sherrie Samuels was invaluable as primaiy DU4R contact. Martha Crucius and Drew Parkin contributed a national perspective of river assessments. Cooperation was the key to the Hawaii StreamAssessment. The strengths of this report are due to the participation by many in government and the private sector. Individuals from Hawaii’s state government departments of Land and Natural Resources, Business and Economic Development, and Health; from federal agencies including the U.S. National Park Service, Geological Survey, Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service; County plpnning and public works departments; the professional and business community, in particular The Nature Conservancy Hawaii; and the University commu nity were all unfailingly generous with their time, expertise and patience. Fmaliy, none of this would have happened without the support of the water commis sioners, ChairmanWilliam Paty, Michael Chun, Richard Cox Guy Fujimura, John Lewin and Robert Nakata. The Commission on Water Resource Management and the Depart ment of Land and Natural Resources, the primary managers of the state’s natural resources, recognized the importance of an inventory and assessment of surface water resources for informed decision-making. The commissioning of this independent proj ect, with its conservation point of view, is an indication oftheir commitment to long-term care of Hawaii’s natural resources. The authors are grateful to all of the project participants listed on the following pages who made the Hawaii Stream Assessment possible...this is your work. V Project Participants COMMISSION ON WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT William Paty, Chair Richard Cox Michael Chun Guy Fujimura John Lewin Robert Nalcata NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Martha Crusius, Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program James Huddlestun, Western Regional Office Drew Parkin, Consultant, Land and Water Associates STEERING COMMITI’EE Manabu Tagomori (Chair), DLNR, DOWALD Meredith Ching, Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. John Harrison, UH Manoa, Environmental Center Allen Marmelstein, USFWS Susan Miller, NRDC Henry Sakuda, DLNR, DAR Clifford Smith, UH Manoa Botany, NPS, CPSU Mary Teves, DOll, Environmental Planning Carol Wilcox, DLNR, DOWALD PROJECT COORDINATORS SaDie Edmunds, NPS, CPSU Carol Wilcox DLNR, DOWALD WORKING COMMIUEE MEMBERS Meredith Ching, Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. Sterling Chow, DLNR, DOWALD John Clark, ocean recreation consultant Ross Cordy, DLNR, Historic Preservation Doak Co,ç Geologist/Hydrologist Richard Davis, Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club William Devick, DLNR, DAR vi Anne Fielding, Maui resident John Ford, USFWS Lorin Gill, Moanalua Gardens Foundation Micco Godine; Kayaks Kauai Chino Godine; Kayaks Kauai Bill Gorst, DLNR, Parks, Planning Gretchen Grove, Hawaii resident John Hall, UN Manoa Joe Harabin , Maui resident John Harrison, UN Manoa, Environmental Center Skippy Han, DLNR, DAR Bob Hee, Garden Island Shooting Garrett Hew, East Maui Irrigation Co. Don Hibbard, DLNR, Historic Preservation Bob Hobdy, DLNR, DOFAW Luciana Honigman, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii Kiyoshi Ikeda, UN Manoa Sociology Mabel Kekina, Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Robert Kinzie, UN Manoa Zoology Dan Kuhns,, Molokai resident Patty Kupchak, Sierra Club Cathie Lowder, Sierra Club Lani Ma’a, Judiciary History Center Allen Marmeistein, USFWS George Matsumoto, DLNR, DOWALD Susan Miller, NRDC Herbert Minakami, Board of Water Supply Mike Minn, Hana Community Association Myrone Murikami, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation William Murtagh, UH Manoa, Historic Preservation Nathan Napoka, DLNR, Historic Preservation Audrey Newman, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii Bob Nishimoto, DLNR, DAR, Hilo Tom O’Brien, DBED, Energy Division Eric Onizuka, DLNR, DAR James Parrish, USFWS Cooperative Fisheries Mary Place, teacher Bill Puleloa, DLNR, DOFAW Charlie Reppun, taro fanner Steve Rohrmayer, Pig Hunters of Oahu Jo-An Salmon, Molokai resident Sherrie Samuels, DLNR, DOWALD Clifford Smith, UN Manoa Botany, Ni’S, CPSU Kanna Smyth, State Parks and Historic Sites Cliff Soares, Ranch manager Wayne Souza, DLNR, Parks, Planning Tom Telfer, DLNR, DOFAW Mary Teves, DOH, Environmental Planning Quentin Tomich, consultant Kathy Valier, travel writer Ernst Ventura, Kauai resident vu Ron Walker, DLNR, DOFAW Joe Wierschem, Hawaii resident Sadao Yanagi, Maui resident Andrew Yuen, USFWS Chris Yuen, Sierra Club RESOURCE PEOPLE Don Astrab, Honolulu Board of Water Supply