Southwest Maui Watershed Plan

Watershed Advisory Group Steering Committee Meeting

March 25, 2010, 3:00 p.m - 5:00 p.m.
HIHWNMS (Humpback Whale Sanctuary) Education Center
726 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei, Maui

Summary
This was the first meeting of the WAG Steering Committee in the two-year Southwest
Maui Watershed Planning project. Watershed Coordinator Robin Knox gave an overview
of the steering committee’s role, the project, and a status report; there was a discussion
on the education and outreach plan; a presentation on the status of Maui’s coral reefs by
Darla White; and a presentation on nutrient flux dynamics along Maui’s coastline by Iuri
Herzfeld. There were 10 people present.

Attendees
Michael Brady, Jacob Freeman, Iuri Herzfeld, Daniel Kanahale, Pamela Kantarova, Robin Knox,
Dee Larson, Teri Leonard, Richard Sylva, and Darla White.

Welcome - Robin Knox welcomed the group.

Steering Committee Role and Schedule

Robin Knox described the steering committee role as a smaller working group that meets more
frequently than the WAG, every month instead of every other month. The group was asked to
comment on whether it would be preferable in months with general WAG meetings to meet one
hour ahead of that scheduled time in order to have one longer session rather than two separate
meetings. The group agreed that meeting on the second Thursday of each month seemed to be
free of schedule conflicts. Final dates will be based on meeting place availability.

Presentation – Overview of SMWP and Watershed Project and Status Report –

Robin Knox, Watershed Coordinator
An overview of project milestones and meetings was presented. Milestones will be met by the
technical team, Robin Knox, John Astilla and Muhammad ??? with support from WAG members
with technical experience like Iuri Herzfeld. The final watershed plan is due in 2 years with the
draft due two months prior.
There are eight major project tasks - some requiring project reports:
1) Project Management
Reports: Administrative Reporting
2) Watershed Advisory Group
3) Education and Outreach
4) Watershed Characterization
Reports: 4.1 Draft Characterization Report; 4.2 Watershed Modeling Plan; 4.3 Loading
Estimates

WAGSC #1 3/25/2010 Page 1 of 7

 Description: The WAG will provide the information for the Draft Characterization
Report. Info will include: land area, land use, slope, climate, and rare water quality data.
Everyone will have a chance to review and comment. The document will be used to
create the modeling plan that will be proposed to the DOH and EPA and the pollution
load estimates will come from the modeling plan.
5) Watershed Goals and Objectives
Reports: 5.1 Statement of goals and Objectives; 5.2 Environmental Indicators and
Targets (The targets will be established by the WAG.)
6) Pollution Control Strategies
Report: Pollution Control Strategies
7) Implementation Strategy (includes funding strategies)
Report: Implementation Strategy
8) Watershed Plan
Report: 8.1 Draft Watershed Plan; 8.2 Final Watershed Plan
Project meetings
There will be 4 public meetings; 12 WAG meetings; and 24 steering committee meetings.

Education and Outreach Plan Discussion

Robin Knox gave a summary of activities to date and upcoming opportunities. The booth at
Pacific Whale Foundation’s Whale Day at Kalama Park in Kihei was a great success. Children
immediately understood the poster showing the watershed connections and adults (visitors)
who’ve participated in watershed planning efforts on the mainland were encouraged to see Maui
engaged in such a project. Overall, approximately 50 people stopped by the booth. The More
Fish in the Sea event on April 3rd in Kahului will be the next opportunity.
Volunteer monitoring is an important part of outreach and education. Opportunities include:
• Laie wetland restoration project. Monitoring will occur before, during and after the native
plant restoration. The Laie project is running during the same 2 years as this project.
• Whale Sanctuary’s volunteer monitoring program (which is in need of test kits)
• Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s Turbidity Task Force which will set up stations
with monitors (two as of right now) and distribute sampling kits that include easy to
follow instructions.
• Save Honolua coalition has 1000 kits and any group can get kits and join the project.
• World Water Monitoring Day on Sept. 18. (monitoring period runs March 22 - Dec. 31)
Along with the monitoring projects, there is a great data portal created by CORAL and Project
Sea-link designed to receive this kind of quality data which can then be provided to the DOH for
use in decision making. Hopefully in the future it will include monitoring on whether the BMP’s
we develop are working. Go to: http://monitoring.coral.org/
Opportunities for volunteers to obtain training are available with Darla White at DAR. John
Mitchell with Digital Bus has offered to tape the trainings for the volunteers to make them even
more accessible.

WAGSC #1 3/25/2010 Page 2 of 7

Education and Outreach Plan Discussion
The Draft Education and Outreach Plan was reviewed. Suggestions, ideas and questions are
summarized below.

Topic Discussion / details

a. Keiki Create and install a poster/interactive
display at every school library in Kihei. Make
the watershed a part of their vocabulary and
experience. Simplify the message down to the
elemental and create a felt board where the
watershed model and concept of how it works
can be built.
b. Water Users Includes recreational and
fishing use
d. Policy Makers Change to Policy &
Decision makers and Major Water Consumers
(includes County & State Gov’t.)
1. WHO ARE WE EDUCATING?
General Focus on who should be educated - in
a. Keiki
a sense it’s everybody, including the policy
b. Water Users
makers and even those who visit here. Model
c. Average Community Member
the outreach and learn from the biggest
d. Policy Makers
organizing we’ve seen. Create a large network,
e. Planners
develop a comprehensive listserv and send
f. Developers
regular educational messages. Traditionally in
Hawaii, everybody knew what a watershed was
& naturally took care of the resources. If you
live here you have a kuleana, a moral
responsibility, to know what your resources are
and to take care of them. The most important
resource is the water and there is a disconnect
and not understanding the value. What’s
important is to know what the resources are and
to take care of them. These “who” divisions
came from the first WAG meeting where it was
understood that different sectors needed
different approaches.
2. WHY ARE WE EDUCATING? b. ...informed policy decisions… County
a. To further the implementation of Council should be invited to join and added to
WAG planning recommendations the mailing list - especially Wayne Nishiki who
b. So that the community can make represents So. Maui and all others who
informed policy decisions represent areas of this watershed.
i. Voting d. “Culture of Care” Do we understand why
ii. Land use we want to educate & what the goals are? For
iii. Who to support instance, as an island community, do we want to
c. To establish and maintain a blend and coexist with tourism - how can
connection to the land and the society accomplish both things? Is the goal of
interconnectedness of water this group to try to establish a “culture of care”?
resources to the land Is the aim to insure some specific group cares
d. To establish a “culture of care” i.e. and then continue to build partnerships? Need a

WAGSC #1 3/25/2010 Page 3 of 7

 community-based peer pressure to
prevent pollution
3. WHAT ARE WE EDUCATING ABOUT?
a. What a watershed is
b. Why a watershed is important to
protect
c. How each person as an individual
can help
d. How we collectively can help
(through businesses, community
and government organizations)
4. HOW ARE WE EDUCATING?
 New suggestions: The PSA video for incoming
a. Facebook.com
b. Water Quality Monitoring Sites
c. Akaku
d. Internships
e. Handouts and fliers
f. Talks and presentations
g. Volunteer activities
WAGSC #1 3/25/2010
realistic model for the islands. There are
opportunities everywhere to “throw out little
tidbits” because people do have an interest. A
person taking people diving can share about
how the watershed is connected to the reef.
Only so much that can be done. This plan is
only a first step in establishing something that’s
long lasting and institutionalized. In Seattle
there is tremendous peer pressure to pick up dog
poop when out walking dogs. In other areas,
people leave pet waste which can be a problem.
The goal is to educate on the expectations we
have of guests visiting here - similar to
removing shoes before entering someone’s
home, we teach that when you come to Maui,
you don’t trample the reefs. Expectations for
societal change and regulations take 8 - 13
years, but if people are engaged can be shorter.
Citizen groups like Maui’s DIRE coalition are a
good example. Important to determine who
effects the watershed most directly. Is it the
farmers, is it the tourists? Need to prioritize.
a. How hydrology and watershed works so
people will care about it.
b. What we do corporately and in the business
world counts. Businesses need to see the value
of how they gain financially from it. Establish
the Southwest Maui Watershed Foundation for
funding these things. Explore a relationship
with Tri-Isle RC & D for accepting funds.
Invite a liaison from the Wailea resort
community/hotels. There is a flowing river of
nitrogen laden water that flows into ocean at
Wailea every day. Invite someone from the
Wailea Community Association - they are very
interested and concerned. Develop PSA’s for
incoming flights to the islands showing how it
takes all of us to take care of this place. School
kids are important. Teachers are very happy for
presenters to come to their classrooms.
flights is an important suggestion. Everyone
who comes here would see it. Research options
for developing and distributing it. Ask Liz
Foote, and HTA. Consider working with
CORAL to get a grant to work with it. Develop
a large listserv AND email newsletters with
project updates and upcoming activities (similar
to the great SMS newsletters).
Page 4 of 7
5. HOW ARE WE EDUCATING?
a. Keiki
i. Community events (Club
meetings, fairs, festivals)
ii. Water Quality Monitoring
(beach or stream water sites)
iii. Classroom demonstrations by
volunteers
b. Water Users
i. Posters or fliers at popular
stores
ii. Turbidity Task Force\raises
awareness through
observation and monitoring
c. Average Community Member
i. Facebook.com page
ii. Akaku Advertisement
Campaign
iii. Public meetings
iv. Booths at Fairs and Festivals
(Whale Day, County Fair)
v. Speakers at civic clubs or
neighborhood/community
associations (Rotary, etc.)
d. Policy Makers
i. Invitation to WAG meetings
ii. Write Letters Or testimony
iii. Presentations to County
Council Committees,
Planning Commission,
County Planning Department
e. Planners and Developers
i. Develop Workshops for
Pollution Prevention
Techniques (BMP’s for
construction, roads, drainage
etc ), Nonpoint Source
Education for Municipal
Officials (NEMO)
f. Stakeholders
i. Presentations or workshops
for landowners and managers
at ranches, resorts,
community associations
ii. Educate businesses engaging
in practices that make a
difference to water quality

WAGSC #1 3/25/2010
a. Get watershed info into school curriculums.
Connect through existing programs like Digital
Bus - good example of beneficial partnerships.
a. & b. Join SMS and others doing Earth Day
volunteer WQ monitoring on the beach. Create
“beach worth” posters to educate during the
event. Take advantage of opportunity to
connect what’s happening on the beach/in the
water to the mountain.
a. & c. May 1st is the Community Work Day
event. PWF’s Whale Day is every year. More
Fish in the Sea Event.
c. Creating a website that will educate and be a
place for compiling the huge amount of
information that’s out there on the subject.
Educate the professionals. Create a small
business card sized ad that appears in the same
ad spaces/key places consistently. Include how
to join the listserv/get the newsletter. Create a
logo and slogan to build branding and identity.
Ask partners and members to display in their
websites. Create a watershed calendar,
highlighting activities occurring in the various
areas comprising the entire watershed. Raise
funds for water quality monitors. Create a
charismatic “poster child” location/reef to act as
a proxy for the others since studies show that
people tend to give to individual things rather
than causes.
c. & d. Take every opportunity (while giving a
presentation or providing comments or
testimony) to announce the project, invite
participation and encourage education on our
important watersheds.
Page 5 of 7
Special Discussion Session I.

Darla White (Division of Aquatic Resources) presented a brief overview of Coral Reef Status and
related research:

Coral reefs developed in and require for health: low nutrient, clean, clear water with little algae
and bacteria. When the system is out of balance, algae outcompete and overgrow the corals and
fills in the pukas, and microbial communities change. This is known as a phase shift.

Oldest coral colony found to date in Hawaii is 4000 years old. This was found at 1500’off the
coast of Oahu.

Symbiotic relationship between zooxanthellae and the coral animal. Zooxanthellae provides 90%
of corals nutrition that it needs for growth and reproduction.

Our reef systems are becoming out of balance. It’s essential to remember that restoration only
works if the things causing the imbalance are removed or halted. In many areas there is too much
algae and too few herbivores to keep it in check. In other areas with declining coral cover,
sedimentation, chemical run-off and other pollution are the problem. Each location has a number
of different stressors. If a reef is not growing, it’s eroding.

There are some fairly long term data sets on Maui’s coral cover and they are documenting the
decline in a number of Maui’s reefs.

Both non-native and native algae are blooming here.

Molokini has high coral cover and its health isn’t declining in spite of seeing some of the highest
recreational use in the State. As an MPA, fishing prohibited there, and because it’s offshore and
has high water motion/flushing, it is not impacted by anthropogenic land use.

Elsewhere, more monitoring is needed to find out what’s going on. Note that monitoring is the
first action listed in the CWA. But we know enough to take action.

At Kahekili in West Maui an herbivore replenishment area has been established. In some parts of
that area algal overgrowth is causing a loss of coral cover at 5 cm per month. Where coral cover
is being lost, the 3 dimensionality is being lost. Studies show this algal growth is definitely being
fueled by nutrients - including those from animal/human waste. The Lahaina Injection wells are
just upslope from this area.

The Community Working Group established by Mayor Tavares is addressing the issue of
injections wells and what to do to about them.

Special Discussion Session II.

Visiting research scientist and steering committee member, Iuri Herzfeld, shared about his
research in nutrient flux dynamics and their relationships to algae blooms along Maui’s shoreline.

WAGSC #1 3/25/2010 Page 6 of 7

Iuri has been working in Hawaii for 6 years looking at nitrogen recycling, among other things.
Prior to this work, his background was in soil chemistry/science. He went from the land to the
water and now back to the land since the problems associated with microbial interactions on the
reef are land based.

He gave a brief history of the origins and fundamentals of the problem, noting that this is not a
new problem for humanity - it can be traced all the way back to Greek literature. The biggest
shifts have occurred when people have shifted from hunting and gathering to agricultural and
industrial cultures. Historically people knew that over fishing would lead to famine and because
there was a limit to what could be stockpiled, there was balance. There was also a limit to what
could be grown, until the mid 19th century when it was discovered that nitrogen made plants grow
and so more nitrogen began being added to soil to make crops grow.

Beginning in the early 20th century, when the German’s discovered how to make synthetic
nitrogen, the amount of nitrogen use became so extensive that it became 5 - 6 times higher,
globally. This also coincides with world population growth after WWII. The world’s large
population has been fed by the invention of synthetic nitrogen which came into popular use in the
1950’s.

Nitrogen is not being consumed and so a massive amount is going into the land and into the
water, contributing to macroalgal blooms which lead to demise of fisheries and cultural practices.

These are not issues of not knowing whether nitrogen is a problem, or not, but issues of decision
making and learning from and not repeating past mistakes. This is difficult because of
generational gaps where information is not being shared.

The real tangible work he has been doing is measuring nutrient/pollution fluxes (nitrogen, carbon,
phosphorus, iron). He found a link between tradewinds, current and tidal flow with increasing
amounts of high nutrient “fresh” water along nearshore areas during high tides.

Summary of Action Items

The group is encouraged to review the EPA Watershed Handbook which can be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbook/pdf/handbook.pdf

To contact this group, send an email to

Robin Knox, wqcinc@hawaii.rr.com
or Richard Sylva, richard@mauiwatershed.org

Action items:
# Description Due date Person
1 Update Draft Education and Outreach Plan Robin
2
3

Notes prepared by Rene Umberger.

WAGSC #1 3/25/2010 Page 7 of 7