The purpose of this Final Technical Program Report is to recommend feasible measures to be undertaken by KBAC that will significantly improve water quality in Koolaupoko. The report utilized documents previously prepared for KBAC as well as new research and data. The concept of “leveraging” KBAC’s limited resources with Federal/State and other available funds to expand the scope and impact of water quality improvements also underlies the report.

Under associated Federal and State programs, the 72 square-mile Koolaupoko Watershed is designated as a Category 1 “priority watershed”, commanding remedial attention (second only to the South Molokai Watershed as a priority for addressing water quality in the State of Hawaii). Within the Koolaupoko Watershed, Kaneohe Bay (Kualoa to Mokapu), Kawa Stream (Kaneohe Bay sub-watershed), Kapaa Stream (Kailua Bay sub-watershed) and Waimanalo Stream and its tributaries (Waimanalo Bay sub-watershed) are designated as “Water Quality Limited Segments” (WQLS). These are defined as water bodies where water quality standards are not met due to high concentrations of pollutant emissions, or where water quality standards may not be met even after effluent limitation measures are applied.

Based on existing analyses of the water bodies in the region, and improvement plans for both the Kailua Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (KRWWTP) and the Waimanalo Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWWTP), it is apparent that point sources of pollution are not significant concerns. With the exception of “emergency” spills, sewage may not be a significant source of pollution to water quality in Koolaupoko’s foreseeable future; however, further investigation is required in Waimanalo.

Consequently, the primary focus for recommending mitigation measures to improve water quality is directed at nonpoint sources of pollution from land-based runoff. Such focus expands the enormity of the task and the amount of time necessary to realize improvements in water quality. It also means that the nature of necessary mitigation efforts has to be that of a continuing overall watershed approach rather than a project-oriented one. The required management of nonpoint sources falls into two general categories, 1) the prevention of the production of pollutants in the watershed; and 2) the prevention of the transport of pollutants by runoff to water bodies once such are deposited in the watershed.

Watershed management issues are discussed, as are available mitigation measures. The reliance by EPA on Best Management Practices (BMPs) and maximum pollutant load (Total Maximum Daily Load - TMDL) as concepts for mitigation methodology is noted.

Water quality problems in each sub-watershed are analyzed and implications for KBAC are discussed. Mitigation measures for the Waimanalo Bay sub-watershed are geared to its immediate of concerns. Kaneohe Bay sub-watershed exhibits longer-range matters and a larger magnitude of concerns (the reason for its designation as a WQLS, impaired embayment). Kailua Bay sub-watershed may have less acute problems, but they nevertheless pose formidable mitigation efforts.

Sixteen recommendations are made to help mitigate observed problems and improve water quality:

Koolaupoko Watershed Restoration Action Strategy.
Education programs to reach Koolaupoko Watershed residents promoting individual practices which prevent pollution as well as to explain project undertakings.
Continued funding of the Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program.
Continuation of research and development in molecular biology by Dr. Maqsudal Alam.
Temporary installation of “Living Machine” at Meadow Gold Dairy in Waimanalo.
Composting of animal wastes in Waimanalo.
Waimanalo Stream partial restoration.
Reforestation of a hillside in Kahaluu.
Revegetation of highway cuts and denuded slopes in Kahaluu and Kailua.
Heeia Stream cleaning.
Installation of grills in catch basin inlets in Kahaluu Stream watershed.
Feasibility study of inducing water circulation from Oneawa Channel to Kawai Nui Canal.
Dredge portions of Kaelepulu Pond (Enchanted Lake).
Removal of mangrove in Waikalua Loko fishpond and Kawa Stream mouth.
TMDL evaluation of Kapaa Stream.
Cleaning of six streams.

KBAC hired Dr. Maqsudul Alam, Department of Microbiology, University of Hawaii, to develop a practical application of DNA “fingerprinting” techniques (using PCR - Polymerase Chain Reaction) to assist in water quality testing. It entails detecting a greater range of bacteria in water bodies, and tracing them to their source. Such refinements would enable water quality improvements to be more precise and effective.

The total cost of recommended mitigation measures amounts to over $1 million in each of the three sub-watersheds.

If proposals can be “leveraged” using Federal/State funds, the recommendations would apply $4,105,000 to water quality improvements in Koolaupoko with a KBAC allocation of $2,612,500. This provides flexibility for KBAC to establish priorities according to the availability of Federal, and other, funds and to adjust to actual expenditures as projects progress.

Final Technical Program Report

For the

Kailua Bay Advisory Council

Introduction

In May of 1992, a group of four non-profit environmental organizations (Save our Bays and Beaches, Sierra Club, Hawaii’s Thousand Friends and the Surfrider Foundation) filed legal action against the City & County of Honolulu for violations of the Federal Clean Water Act. This legal action culminated in a consent decree, approved by the Federal court, and signed by the parties in August 1995.[1] The consent decree required the formation of a Kailua Bay Advisory Council (KBAC) made up of eight members – four appointed by the City & County of Honolulu, and one appointed by each of the four organizations which were plaintiff’s in the action.

KBAC

The purposes of KBAC are:

1. To study the nonpoint sources of pollution in the Kailua/Kaneohe/Waimanalo watershed areas, and to the extent deemed appropriate by the Council, point sources;

2. To determine effective measures to mitigate such pollution to the maximum extent practicable;

3. To oversee the implementation of the measures and;

4. To oversee a volunteer water quality monitoring program (VWQMP).

Purpose of the Final Technical Program Report

The purpose of the Final Technical Program Report is to provide recommendations for feasible programs to significantly improve water quality in the Koolaupoko Watershed that may cost up to $2.5 million. The report builds upon previous work done for KBAC, namely, Bibliography of Information Sources Related to Water Quality in Koolaupoko, By Susan Miller, Preliminary Problem Identification, and Interim Technical Report, both by Eugene P. Dashiell. Also reviewed were documents prepared as part of “mini-grants” that were funded by KBAC.

Associated Governmental Programs

A number of laws and government programs have evolved as a result of public concern for pollution and water quality. These laws and programs are important to KBAC for they can assist the achievement of KBAC’s goals and potentially augment KBAC’s resources. This relationship will be further developed in the course of this report. Table 1 below shows the evolution of these laws and programs and a brief description of their nature:

TABLE 1

Associated Government Programs

Date	Title of Act	Significance of Action	Hawaii’s Response
1972	Federal Water Pollution Control Act	Required states to have water quality plans covering waste-water.	Hawaii produced, Technical Report # 2: Nonpoint Source Pollution in Hawaii: Assessments and Recommendations
1972	Coastal Zone Management Act	Coastal protection and funding.	Hawaii adopted Chapter 205A, HRS,Coastal Zone Management Act
1987	Federal Water Pollution Control Act(Sec 319)	Added Nonpoint Source Plans to CWA. Required state action under 319.	Hawaii’s Assessment of Nonpoint Pollution Water Quality Problems and Hawaii’s Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Management Plan(1990)
1990	Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments(CZARA) Sec 6217	Required State to prepare and implement Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program. Sec 6217 provided grants.	Hawaii’s Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program Management Plan, Office of State Planning, (1990)
1993	Guidance Specifying Management Measures for Nonpoint Pollution in Coastal Waters	Provides goals for measures to control nonpoint pollution in coastal waters. Yardstick by which to qualify state programs for funding under Sec 6217.	Sec 6217 in a Nutshell: Summary of the 6217 Guidance Measures
1993	Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control program Development and Approval Guidance	Same as above	Sec 6217 in a Nutshell: Summary of the Development and Approval Guidance document
1993			Hawaii passed Chap. 342E, HRS, Nonpoint Source Pollution Management and Control Statutes
1996	Nonpoint Source Program and Grants Guidance for 1997 and Beyond	Revised regulations for “319” grants for Nonpoint pollution programs and mitigation measures.	Hawaii’s Nonpoint Source Management program update, 1999
1998	Clean Water Action Plan, EPA	Refines goals, establishes “Unified Watershed” approach.	Hawaii Unified Watershed Assessment – prioritizes State watersheds by need for remedial action setting basis for Federal grants.
2000			Hawaii’s Implementation Plan for Polluted Runoff Control [2]

The most current State product, Hawaii’s Implementation Plan for Polluted Runoff Control was prepared to qualify the State for continuing grants under Federal programs for water quality improvement, i.e. Clean Water Act Sections 319, and 6217(CZARA). State priorities established in the document concentrate on agricultural and urban management measures for polluted runoff control. It establishes 15-year strategies and 5-year implementation plans to prevent and reduce polluted runoff in six application categories (agriculture, forestry, urban, marinas, stream modification or hydromodifications, wetlands and riparian areas). State priorities will initially focus on agricultural and urban management measures possibly starting in 2003 if State funding is provided.

In the Hawaii’s Unified Watershed Assessment report, Koolaupoko was designated as a Category 1 watershed, watersheds which do not currently meet, or face imminent threat of not meeting, clean water and other natural resource goals (also referred to as an “impaired” watershed). This and other water quality assessments done by the State also designate Kaneohe Bay, and Waimanalo, Kawa and Kapaa Streams as “Water Quality Limited Segments” (WQLS - areas experiencing high concentrations of pollutant emissions from nonpoint sources and needing improvement). Actions to improve water quality in Koolaupoko consequently are consistent with State and Federal priorities and establish Koolaupoko as a prime candidate for Federal and State grant funding.

In 1990, the City & County (C & C) of Honolulu prepared a Water Quality Management Plan. This plan contains data and evaluations of water quality conditions in Koolaupoko. The C & C is also required by The Federal CWA to monitor and strive to improve storm water runoff as a condition of a Federal permit to discharge storm water runoff into the ocean (NPDES permit # H10021229, 1995 (a new 5-year permit application has been submitted) and to make an annual report of its actions. In its annual reports to HIDOH under this permit, useful water quality data is provided for Koolaupoko.[3]

Koolaupoko Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP): In August, 2000, the Honolulu City Council adopted (by ordinance) the long-range land use plan for the Koolaupoko region. The plan is consistent with the Oahu General Plan that includes policies guiding the distribution of population on Oahu. Koolaupoko is programmed to house about 12% of Oahu’s population by 2020 and only a 3.7% increase is forecast for the region. The KSCP:

1. Recognizes significant stream segments with high resource value in Koolaupoko.

2. Promotes the improvement of stream corridors and habitats through restoration.

3. Promotes the preservation of wetlands and Hawaiian fishponds.

4. Promotes pollution control.

It also adopts the concept of “ahupua’a” as an approach to environmental land use management. This approach recognizes the relationship between activities on the upland and those on the shoreline and the sea. The ahupua’a approach focuses on streams as the connecting link between the mountains and the sea. Koolaupoko’s ahupua’a closely conform to stream watersheds in the region.

The plan also promotes the idea of retaining a “greenbelt” along the base of the mountain range from Waimanalo to Kahaluu. Such a preservation area, if appropriately vegetated, could function as a buffer to impede the rate of runoff, allow ground absorption to impede sedimentation, and filter some pollutants before they reach streams and the ocean. These policies are consistent with approaches to improve water quality in the region.

The Koolaupoko Watershed

The Koolaupoko Watershed is situated on the eastern (windward) side of Oahu and consists of the southern half of the entire windward portion of the island (the northern portion being the Koolauloa region). Koolaupoko extends from Kualoa Point in the north, some 23 miles along the winding coastline southeast to Makapuu Point. It includes the urban-fringe areas of Kailua and Kaneohe and the rural areas of Waimanalo and Kahaluu. It also includes the U. S. Marine Corps Base at Kaneohe (KMBH) on the Mokapu peninsula. Extending also from the ridges of the Koolau mountain range to the coastline, the Koolaupoko Watershed encompasses some 72 square miles and several sub-watersheds. The three major watersheds in Koolaupoko contribute their names to their receiving coastal waters, i.e.,

1. Kaneohe Watershed (40 square miles in size) drains into Kaneohe Bay, an 18 square-mile ocean embayment that is protected from the open ocean by an offshore reef structure. Two navigable channels through the reef at its north and south ends afford access to the Bay.

2. Kailua Watershed (20.2 square miles in size) drains into Kailua Bay which is protected somewhat from the open ocean by a submerged reef.

3. Waimanalo Watershed (11.2 square miles in size) drains into Waimanalo Bay that also has a reef with submerged margins.

The Koolaupoko Watershed (also referred to as a district or region) contains 20 sub-watersheds (see map, Figure. 1). Thirteen of these have perennial streams (i.e., flowing year-round): Hakipuu, Heeia, Kaalaea, Kaelepulu, Kaneohe, Kawa, Kawainui, Maunawili, Keaahala, Waiahole, Waianu, Waikane and Waimanalo. No Koolaupoko stream is categorized as “large” but Kahaluu, Kaneohe, Keaahala, and Waiahole are designated as “medium” and the remaining streams are in the ”small” category.[4] It is estimated that there are 367 storm water outfalls in the Watershed.

General Topographic Conditions: The headwater area of the Koolaupoko Watershed (Koolau Mountain range) is characterized by steep, “pali” slopes (70%+) with moderate to heavy “fluting” from erosion. In the Waimanalo Bay Watershed, the steep mountain slopes abruptly meet the more gradual slopes (10-25%) which lead to the flat terrain of the coastal plain. In the Kailua Bay Watershed, the precipitous “pali” slopes transpose into foothills (Olomana Peak, Olomana Ridge, Olumawao, Aniani Nui Ridge, Puu O Ehu, Keaalu, Mahinui, and Pua Papaa) in transition to the coastal plain. In the Kaneohe Bay Watershed, a mix of these conditions exists, but the distance from the peaks to the shoreline is shorter than in the other watersheds. On the Mokapu Peninsula, the terrain is essentially flat except for the extinct cinder cone peaks (Puu Hawaiiloa and Ulupau Head) and runoff from the area sheds into both Kaneohe and Kailua Bay.

General Soil Conditions: Generally the upland soils are volcanic in origin (Koolau basalts) and alluviums (water laid) in the transitional zones are in the ultisol order of soils. These are the most weathered (oldest) soils in the island chain and are also nutrient-deficient due to leaching. The continued productivity of these soils requires re-conditioning with nutrients. The coastal plain soils are sandy in nature. There appears to be a high amount of E-Coli and Enterococci bacteria naturally present in Hawaiian soils[5].

General Land Use Conditions: Predominant land use in the Kailua and Kaneohe urban-fringe areas of their watersheds is residential with the Kahaluu rural area of Kaneohe dominant in agricultural use. Agricultural/residential characterizes the Waimanalo Watershed together with an abundance of livestock (horses, hogs, cattle and chickens). The Mokapu Peninsula contains the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base with an airport and supporting housing and training ranges. Other notable land uses include: a small, low-intensity, military installation (Bellows) that is devoted primarily to recreational activities but with a small inactive airfield; a rock quarrying operation (Kailua); former municipal solid waste landfills; an active refuse transfer station (Kailua); and a State pyschiatric hospital and community college (Kaneohe). Other significant features in the region include: Kawai Nui Marsh (Kailua); Nuupia Ponds (Kailua); Heeia wetland (Kaneohe); Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens (Kaneohe); Haiku Valley Nature Park (Kaneohe); Waihee Valley Nature Preserve (Kaneohe); and the Waikane Valley Nature Preserve (Kaneohe). About four square miles of the Koolaupoko watershed are covered with paved roads and highways.

Population: The population of the Koolaupoko watershed region is about 117,700 and is apportioned in the major sub-watersheds as shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2

Population Distribution

Major Watershed Population Percent

Waimanalo	9,095	7.6%
Kailua MCBH	41,891 11,652	35.7% 9.9%
Kaneohe Kahaluu	40,640 14,422	34.5% 12.3%
Total	117,700	100.0%

Source: U.S. Census of Population, 1990.

The urban-fringe areas of the watershed are essentially built-out with residential and associated development and the rural areas are planned to preserve the agricultural uses there.[6] Consequently, no substantial population increases are forecast for the 20-year planning period.

Vehicle Registration: In 1999, there were approximately 80,000 vehicles registered in the Koolaupoko region. Many hundreds of thousands of vehicle-miles are logged every day on the roads by these vehicles and others involved in the interchange of vehicles leaving the region and those entering. Vehicular activity produces residue-containing metals (lead, chromium, copper, cadmium, zinc, and nickel) and petroleum based hydrocarbons, which collect on roadways and are carried to waterways by runoff.[7]

Common Sources of Pollutants in Koolaupoko

Some examples of water quality pollutants in Koolaupoko are:

1. Sediment from soil erosion: Erosion occurs in the heavy rainfall, steep slope area in the conservation district of the Koolau mountains. Stream channels, cultivated agricultural fields, unvegetated urban areas, and construction sites all contribute to erosion.

2. Fertilizers (nutrients), pesticides, herbicides and chemical residues from vehicles.

3. Metallic residues from vehicles.

4. Seepage from cesspools (nutrients).

5. Paved, impervious areas that add to runoff and increase the amount of pollutants carried to water bodies.

6. Animal and wildlife wastes (nutrients).

7. Leaking sewer lines and sewage pumping station failures.(nutrients).

8. Oil, paint, grease and car batteries.

9. Litter.

(Nutrients are compounds of nitrogen and phosphorus in organic wastes and fertilizers).

Pollution Control Measures

General categories of pollution control measures are as follows:

Erosion Control: (The prevention of soil mobilization in wet weather). Sedimentation is a major cause of water quality impairment in bays and streams. Sedimentation smothers coral reef structures and disrupts the food chain associated with the reef habitat. It causes turbidity (muddiness) and carries other pollutants from land-based sources. This latter problem was recently highlighted by findings that “urban” streams on Oahu (including Kaneohe stream) contained residues of pesticide chemicals (aldrin/dieldrin, chloradane, and DDT) which were in use prior to the l980’s (now banned)[8]. Their existence in streams means also that they are residing in soils (and will be for quite some time until they are naturally degraded). Erosion control will help to prevent their further transport to streams and coastal waters.

The problem of sedimentation is heightened in Hawaii by the geologic/geographic features of short, steep stream valleys, “flashy” stream flow and rapid transport of water to coastal waters. Hawaiian soils also exhibit high concentrations of Escherichia Coli (E-Coil) and Enterococci[9] resulting in high levels of these indicator bacteria in some coastal waters. Examples of effective erosion control measures include the following:

Re-foresting, re-vegetating barren areas.

Construction site management.

Grading controls.

Sediment basin installation.

Removal of impermeable surfaces..

Prevention of impermeable surface cover such as use of pervious concrete and open-ended concrete blocks for parking lots, golf cart pathways.

Vegetation of stream banks.

Riprap for stream banks where vegetation does not hold.

Prevention of stream channelization (i.e., concreting of stream channels).

Sediment filters in catch basins to prevent and retard erosion-producing sediment in runoff.

Sedimentation Basins: Sedimentation basins are water catchment areas where runoff is collected. Because the rate of flow has been slowed, sediment settles out of the water to the bottom preventing it from being transported further downstream. Several large basins exist in the Koolaupoko Watershed, e.g., the flood control reservoir at Hoomaluhia State Park in Kaneohe, Heeia wetlands, Kawai Nui Marsh, Bellows wetlands, and Kahaluu Lagoon. These all act as sedimentation basins as does the Kailua and State reservoirs in Waimanalo and Kaelepulu Pond (Enchanted Lake) in Kailua. Hawaiian fishponds also serve as sedimentation basins protecting coastal bays. As sediment builds up in these basins, management concerns turn to its periodic removal to retain their water collection capacities and prevent overflows from flooding downstream areas. Sediments will often contain levels of chemical and bacteriological concentrations.

Dredging: Dredging accumulated sediment is a form of water body and wetland restoration that plays a role in pollution control. These bodies act as siltation basins for settling sediment out of runoff, and their capacity to perform this function must be maintained. Too much siltation causes degradation of the water body. Pollutants, combined with temperature rise and photosynthesis due to the shallower depths, inhibit the natural cleansing actions of deeper waters.

Nutrient Control: Nutrients are often cast as the villain in water quality concerns. But some nutrients are essential building blocks in natural ecosystems. They are the energy source, the food, which is needed to foster life and health in the soil, in plants and animals, and in water ecosystems. Upland watershed areas need nutrients to flourish, to keep soil healthy, and to help prevent erosion-produced sedimentation. Stream bank vegetation needs nutrients to effectively filter pollutants before they enter streams. Stream waters need nutrients to support biota and plant life that in turn naturally clean the water. Nutrient energy is stored in wetlands to support life and to supply energy downstream to coastal and ocean waters.

Concentrations of excess nutrients in the watershed upset natural balances and degrade environments. It is the avoidance of excess nutrients and establishment of a proper nutrient balance that are critical goals in watershed management and pollution control.

Organic wastes (such as animal wastes) are concentrated sources of nutrients. The conventional tendency would be to prevent nutrients or remove them in striving for cleanliness. But since they are a natural source of energy for plant and animal life, enlightened watershed management suggests that processing organic material to remove harmful bacteria and recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem, in proper balance, is a more desirable approach. One method of processing nutrient sources (animal waste) is composting it to create a soil conditioner.

Recycling of Sewage Effluent: The recycling of sewage effluent reduces the volume of effluent that is discharged by ocean outfalls or injection wells. The U.S. Filter Corp. and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply are presently processing about three million gallons per day of effluent from the Honouliuli Sewage Treatment Plant. The water is cleaned to R-1 quality and used for golf course irrigation and industrial uses. Also, recycled water has been used for irrigating the golf course at the MCBH, Kaneohe Bay.

Disposal of Common Products Containing Pollutants: Many common household and automotive products contain potential pollutants and must be disposed of properly to prevent their introduction into the watershed. Items in this category include oil, paint, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, car batteries, etc. To help ensure effective disposal, the public should have easy accessibility to special disposal areas. The City & County of Honolulu could establish a network of readily accessible “convenience” centers. Coupled with periodic educational information about the necessity of following special procedures and the location of the convenience centers, some reduction of pollutants in the watershed could be achieved.

Roadway Pollutant Control: As mentioned above, vehicular activity produces residue containing metals such as lead (lead from pre-ban days still exists in soil), chromium, copper, zinc, cadmium and nickel, as well as petroleum-based hydrocarbons. Some chemical pollutants are also exuded from asphalt. These pollutant residues are picked up and carried by runoff to streams and downstream water bodies. On high volume roadways, or near critical watershed areas, sand filter strips (Partial Exfiltration Trenches) are installed at the roadside to trap the pollutants traveling in runoff.[10]. The sand is coated with iron oxide to absorb metals. In addition, filters are available to install in catch basins to filter and trap metals, chemical pollutants and sediment.[11].

Litter Control: Litter pollution is controlled by preventing littering or by keeping it from entering steams and coastal waters. Litter prevention depends on educational efforts to keep people from depositing litter in the environment. One method to prevent litter from entering streams and downstream water bodies is to install grillwork (screens) in catch basin inlets to catch litter before it enters the drainage system. Booms can also be placed across the surface of streams to catch litter and debris.

Water Body Circulation: Circulation (i.e. water movement) in a water body is vital to its health. Without it, the biological functions are handicapped. Water becomes oxygen-deficient and its condition degrades. Circulation in dry periods is particularly important since no natural outside stimuli promote water flow. Inducing circulation can sometimes help to restore health to the water body.

Elimination of Impervious Surfaces: Two thirds of rain is available for runoff (the other third is lost to evaporation).[12] The more impermeable our ground is to infiltration, the more water volume flows to streams and coastal waters. The geographic and geologic structure of the Hawaiian Islands tends to hasten the transport of surface runoff to the ocean (due to short, steep stream valleys and proximity to the ocean) limiting ground-water re-charge time. These limitations require the application of other measures to improve water quality such as larger pervious land areas. To do this, it may be necessary to eliminate existing impervious ground cover wherever possible (e.g., abandoned roads, parking lots, other obsolete installations, etc.). Included in this control measure is the corollary of discouraging the creation of new impermeable surfaces.

Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL): This term refers to the maxim that water bodies can only accommodate a certain amount of pollutants (the Maximum Daily Load) before water quality standards are exceeded. TMDL evaluations (to determine the load limit for a particular water body) are required by EPA for at least the water bodies that have been designated as Water Quality Limited Segments. Implementation of the TMDL approach rests on the prohibition of any amount of pollutants exceeding the maximum load.

Restoring Stream Ecosystems: Stream restoration or partial restoration projects re-establish a semblance (depending on the degree of restoration) of a naturally functioning ecosystem. A properly functioning system filters pollutants, cleanses water, recycles nutrients, retains some sediments, and delivers other nutrients to coastal waters to sustain aquatic life. Once restored, stream ecosystems should be monitored to assure that they are maintaining proper balance. Restorative efforts may include sediment and excess vegetation removal from the stream channel, stream bank revegetation, foliage canopy provision, reduction of hydromodifications (concreted channels), habitat restorations and stream flow restoration. Restoration plans prepared as part of a Watershed Restoration Action Strategy determine what specific elements will be applied to restore the stream. Strategies may also include a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) evaluation if one has not been prepared for the stream. A possible alternative to TMDL is use of a visual assessment protocol developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).[13] The Watershed Restoration Action Strategy is explained further below.

Wetland Creation: Creation of wetlands is sometimes proposed as a mitigation to replace wetlands that are lost, e.g., to development. As a pollution control measure, wetlands can be created to act as sediment basins, or pollutant filters to help cleanse an ecosystem. These can be in the path of streams, or even at major outfalls of a storm drainage system. Caution should be exercised her because natural wetlands are difficult to replace.

Best Management Practices: Best Management Practices (BMPs) are common-sense approaches to activities affecting the watershed, which will alleviate, or reduce, pollution. As the name suggests, BMPs represent the most proper way to design, construct, protect, instruct, etc. Their use with respect to water quality was initiated by EPA and NOAA, and is promoted by State and County government for use in watershed activities as pollution mitigation measures.

Planning for Pollution Control: As a prerequisite to Federal grant funding under the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA), the Federal and State governments are requiring a Watershed Restoration Action Strategy (WRAS) under the Unified Watershed Assessment approach as the foundational planning element. Up to 20% of incremental Federal grant funds are earmarked for this. Successful completion of a WRAS will qualify an area for project grants under the remaining 80%. In Hawaii, the State Department of Health has established specific requirements for the content of an application for these funds. For the year 2000, $150,000 has been reserved for the Koolaupoko Watershed.

Koolaupoko Watershed Management Issues

General Issues: