Ko‘olau Mountains Watershed Partnership
History & Mission
The mission of the Ko‘olau Mountains Watershed Partnership is to foster landowner collaboration and perpetuate the water resources of O‘ahu by protecting and enhancing the forests of the Ko‘olau and its invaluable native ecosystems.
Since the formation of the partnership in 1999, our mission has been to maintain the health of the forested expanses of the Koʻolau range as a reliable source of high-quality water for Oʻahu’s people in perpetuity. These partners recognized the importance of these forest ecosystems for their ability to replenish the underground aquifers which provide the majority of the fresh water used on Oʻahu – approximately 133 billion gallons each year.
KMWP works to coordinate and perform critical forest management actions such as controlling the spread of invasive plants and animals across nearly 100,000 acres of partnership lands. The mitigation of threats to the integrity of our native forests is crucial to safeguard our precious freshwater resources into the future. KMWP employs a small number of full-time staff under the University of Hawaii Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU), to manage all projects across the Ko’olau range. Though they come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, they share an appreciation for our watersheds and are passionate about the role they play in helping to protect and conserve our native forests.
Land-Owning Partners
- Honolulu Board of Water Supply
- Hakuhia – First Presbyterian Church
- Hawai‘i Reserves Inc.
- Hi‘ipaka LLC dba: Waimea Valley
- Kualoa Ranch
- Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate
- Livable Hawaii Kai Hui
- Ohulehule Forest Conservancy LLC
- Paradise Park
- Queen Emma Land Company
- Saint Anthony Retreat Center
- State of Hawai‘i DLNR
- Tianna Partners
- UH Lyon Arboretum
- Army Natural Resources Program O‘ahu (ANRPO – US Army)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Refuges
- Wai Lan Preservation Group LLC (Protect & Preserve Hawaii)
Associate Partners
- He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve
- Kahala Hotel and Resort
- Mālama Maunalua
- ‘Ohu ‘Ohu Ko‘olau Inc. / Ko‘olau Watershed Foundation
- State of Hawai‘i, Commission on Water Resource Management
- State of Hawai‘i, Department of Health – Clean Water Branch
- The Nature Conservancy
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners Program
- City & County of Honolulu, Department of Land Management (DLM)
- Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
Our Logo
The Ko‘olau Mountains Watershed Partnership logo has 4 visual components. The Ko‘olau Mountains and its illustrious waterfalls in the background. The wai, life giving water, which is the focus of our work and is in the piko of our logo, just like our aquifers. The koa leaf and ‘uluhe frond in the foreground represent the layers of our native forests. The ‘apu, or cup shape, signifies the holding of wai and collective knowledge of the Ko‘olau Mountains and the Partners.
Management Priorities
The Ko‘olau Mountains Watershed Partnership works across landowner boundaries to eliminate threats to the watershed such as habitat-modifying weeds and ungulates. Objectives are carried out through a combination of adaptive management strategies, established conservation practices, and community outreach and education. Examples of these methods are:
- Various weed removal and control techniques
- Installing and maintaining ungulate-proof fences
- Restoration work through native outplanting
- Long-term monitoring of management areas
- Educating the communities of O‘ahu through volunteer days, events, community outreach, working with school groups and people of all ages and backgrounds
Click any image to view in a slideshow.
Ecosystem Highlights
The Ko‘olau Mountain forests supply groundwater for approximately 90% of the population on the Island of O‘ahu. As the main source of fresh water on the island, ground water recharge is the most valuable product produced by the Ko‘olau forests, providing 364 million gallons of water per day.
The preservation of the remaining native forests is critical to the protection of watersheds on O‘ahu, as their multi-layered canopies efficiently capture moisture from clouds and reduce the force of rain falling on the soil surface, allowing the water to gently infiltrate into the soil and ultimately reach underground aquifers. However, the native forests of the Ko‘olau Mountains are severely imperiled. Close to 50% of the primarily native forests have been lost and those that remain are threatened by invasive species and climate change. Invasive species alter the water capture and infiltration rates of native forests by reducing canopy complexity and destroying understory native plant communities.
In addition to harming watershed function, invasive plants and animals present an existential threat to rare native Hawaiian species. The Ko‘olau Mountains has one of the highest densities of rare species in the world. The area provides habitat for dozens of endangered species, many of which are endemic to the range and found nowhere else in the world.
Click any image to view in a slideshow.
Top Threats
- Feral ungulates
- Invasive plant species
- Mules foot fern (Angiopteris evecta)
- Albizia (Falcataria moluccana)
- Cane Tibouchina (Tibouchina herbacea)
- Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium)
- Climate change
How You Can Help
Contact Us!
If your school, community group, or business association is interested in scheduling a workday at one of our volunteer sites or hearing a presentation about watersheds, let us know!
Send us a message using the contact form here or call our Community Outreach line directly at (808) 426-8071.
Mālama Nā Koʻolau Volunteer Program: https://www.koolauwatershed.org/get-involved/volunteer
News, Updates, Job/Volunteer Openings:
The Mālama Nā Koʻolau program allows members of our community to volunteer at KMWP restoration sites throughout the Koʻolau Mountains. KMWP hosts at least one volunteer service-learning day each month at our five regular restoration sites through our Mālama Nā Koʻolau (MNK) program. We visit a different site each month to give you the ability to experience each site through hands-on conservation activities. Our events are meant to strengthen your connection to the forest, educate about native and invasive species, and the ability to contribute to our watershed’s health.
Careers with KMWP: https://www.rcuh.com/work/careers/
Volunteer with KMWP: https://www.koolauwatershed.org/get-involved/volunteer
To learn about additional opportunities, follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
Media Gallery
Click any image to view in a slideshow.
Resources:
- Organization: www.koolauwatershed.org
- Educational Resources: www.koolauwatershed.org/resources
- Management Areas: www.koolauwatershed.org/project/management-areas
Contact Information
Brad Suenishi
Program Associate
Ko‘olau Mountains Watershed Partnership
kmwpadmn@hawaii.edu
Melani Spielman
Outreach Specialist
koolaupartnership@gmail.com
808-456-8456
kmwpmgr@hawaii.edu
koolaupartnership@gmail.com
2674 Waimano Home Rd.
Pearl City, HI 96782
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