Why Maui’s drought problem should scare everyone in Hawaii

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Under the shade of the koa trees, we dig holes in the soil and gingerly plant new seedlings of hapuu, hinahina and koa, all native Hawaiian plants. We’re working on the grounds of a naturally formed watershed located in the western region of Maui atop Mauna Kahalawai, also known as the West Maui Mountains. 

Mauna Kahalawai provides water to most of Maui, and the forest is essential to the watershed. The trees and plants soak up the rainwater like a sponge, filtering it through the earth and down to the aquifer, where the Department of Water Supply sources its water for many of Maui’s homes and hotels. 

But the loss of native trees, due to past pineapple farming within the encompassing 8,304 acres of the watershed, has resulted in decreased rain capture, lessening the amount of water available for the future.

“It’s life or death,” Kainoa Pestana, a field tech for Puu Kukui Watershed Preserve, tells SFGATE. “If we don’t have a forest, then we basically don’t have life for the west side,” Pestana says.

Water is a pressing issue; Maui County currently has the worst drought conditions in the state. In August, Maui hit seven record-high temperatures, and in September, the National Weather Service moved Maui’s central valley to “exceptional drought,” the highest category in the drought monitoring system. Water reservoirs are running low, ranchers are reducing their herds and conditions are predicted to continue to worsen. 

“We’ve seen a decline in overall rainfall numbers over the past five years,” Pestana says. “Puu Kukui was said to be the second wettest spot on Earth. It’s at times reached over 400 inches of rain in a year. But nowadays, there are sometimes less than 200 inches, which says that we get half the amount of rain, and in 25 years, we’ll have half the amount of water, which should scare everyone, you know?

“We’re trying to keep the forest intact, so we catch as much water as possible when it does rain,” he continues. “The fact that rainfall continues to decrease should scare people to death. No rain means no life.”

Mauna Kahalawai provides water to most of Maui and is essential to the watershed.

Kainoa Pestana

Puu Kukui Watershed Preserve believes in the importance of looking to the past to solve Hawaii’s current issues. It’s estimated that Hawaii imports much of its resources and up to 85% of its food. Studies found that in 1778, there were 683,000 Native Hawaiians supported by the island’s bounty before their dependence on imports started in the 1960s

“To feed that many people, you had to have deep knowledge and understanding of your natural water source and use it as efficiently as possible,” Pestana says. “In old Hawaiian law, everybody had rights to the water. It was for everyone, but what you took, you had to put back in.”

Irresponsible pineapple farming has degraded much of the area, and invasive weeds now overrun it. These volunteers are restoring indigenous and endemic plants to the site. They are using traditional Hawaiian methods, such as ancient water systems incorporating taro terraces, to preserve and rejuvenate this naturally formed water source.



“Hahai no ka ua i ka ululaau — the rain follows after the forest,” says Kaliko Storer, an area Hawaiian culture and training specialist. “Watersheds are areas of land — including mountains and valleys — that capture rainwater and other forms of precipitation. That water then seeps into the ground or larger bodies of water such as streams, rivers or oceans. In Hawaii, all watersheds eventually drain into the ocean.” 

She adds that the team focuses on minimizing invasive plant and animal species in the forest, which helps to maintain water flow and prevents erosion. Eroded soil means less water retention, one of the top threats to the watershed’s health. Much of the eroded soil ends up in the ocean, smothering West Maui’s reefs. Additionally, the preserve is home to 300 native and endemic plant species, including koa and the threatened Hawaii state tree. Many of the preserve’s plant and animal species such as the uau (Hawaiian petrel), Hawaiian hoary bat and the Pacific lace fern are listed on the federal threatened or endangered species lists.

“Visiting tourists think the faucet is an everlasting gobstopper,” Storer says. Overtourism effects on the water supply have been a heated topic, especially when visitors to Maui surpassed pre-pandemic numbers at the same time that some residents were forced to save water.

“But in reality,” Storer continues, “there’s a team of volunteers in orange shirts executing daily reconnaissance campaigns. They’re flying in, hiking into the valleys and checking all the water sources.” 

Puu Kukui Watershed Preserve encompasses 8,304 acres on Mauna Kahalawai, and much of its forest has been degraded due to past pineapple farming.

Puu Kukui Watershed Preserve encompasses 8,304 acres on Mauna Kahalawai, and much of its forest has been degraded due to past pineapple farming.

Kainoa Pestana

During a recent mission, the team discovered old loi (irrigated terraces) that Indigenous Hawaiians used to cultivate kalo, or taro, in nearby Honolua Valley — a conservation easement that is part of the West Maui watershed. “These old systems were ingenious,” Pestana explains. “Terraces — similar to rice paddies — were built next to a water source, which would feed water into the loi. That loi would distribute water into the next loi and follow through a series of these terraces before returning to the river.” 

The team is now working on restoring the loi, clearing out weeds and replanting kalo. “Hopefully, in about a year, they’ll become our food source so we can feed ourselves,” Pestana says.

Puu Kukui Watershed Preserve’s work has caught the attention of local resorts, which are pitching in to help. The team has been regularly taking out workers from two local resorts, Andaz Maui and Hyatt Regency.

“Four years ago, there weren’t any hotels that were part of conservation efforts, watershed projects,” Storer says. “We want to teach that if you’re using the water, you must work to maintain the source.” The hope is that these hotel workers will take the lessons they learn and pass them along to co-workers and guests at the hotel. 

“We need to stop acting as if we can just go to Costco to buy cases of water when we have an abundant water source,” Storer says. “It’s a longer approach, but it’s well worth it. From the Hawaiian perspective, our kupuna (elders) tell us, ‘a ka hana ka ike,’ which means you’ll learn by doing, but half of the doing is to listen.” 

“Our goal is to feed people knowledge and their belly,” Pestana adds, “and hopefully, we’ll all be happy in the end.”

Editor’s note: SFGATE recognizes the importance of diacritical marks in the Hawaiian language. We are unable to use them due to the limitations of our publishing platform. 





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