{"id":202743,"date":"2024-08-27T15:41:27","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T01:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=202743"},"modified":"2024-08-27T16:11:03","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T02:11:03","slug":"kmwp-25th-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/08\/27\/kmwp-25th-anniversary\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting O\u02bbahu\u2019s precious water, Ko\u02bbolau partnership marks 25 years"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Edmund Oliviera and Corbin Banua surveys plants and installs erosion plots.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An organization to protect Oʻahu<\/span>\u2019s vital water resources, the Koʻolau<\/span> Mountains Watershed Partnership<\/a> (KMWP<\/abbr>), celebrated 25 years in August. Funded through grants and donations, KMWP<\/abbr> operates as a project of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit<\/a> within the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa\u2019s College of Natural Sciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1999 by eight organizations, KMWP<\/abbr> has grown into a coalition of 17 landowning partners and 10 associate partners dedicated to preserving the Koʻolau<\/span> mountains\u2019 watershed. This milestone coincides with the time it takes for a raindrop falling on the mountains to reach the underground aquifers that supply 90% of Oʻahu<\/span>\u2019s potable water.<\/p>\n

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Brenner Wakayama and Jeffrey Hembree perform fence line scoping above Waiau.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The partnership now stewards more than 100,000 acres of public and private lands across the Koʻolau<\/span> range. Its efforts focus on protecting native forests, which are crucial for soil retention, water absorption and aquifer recharge.<\/p>\n

“What makes this partnership special is the immense support that these partner organizations have for one another,” KMWP<\/abbr> Program Associate Brad Suenishi said. “It\u2019s amazing to have so many partnering organizations collaborate with one common goal to preserve the Koʻolau<\/span> Mountains.”<\/p>\n

KMWP<\/abbr>\u2019s work extends beyond the mountaintops, impacting agriculture, residential areas, businesses and ocean ecosystems.<\/p>\n

“As we celebrate this milestone, we\u2019re not just looking back with pride, but forward with renewed commitment,” said KMWP<\/abbr> Planner Jesse Adams. “The challenges of climate change and population growth make our mission more critical than ever. We\u2019re deeply grateful for the support of our partners and the community, and we remain steadfast in our dedication to preserving the Koʻolau<\/span> watersheds for generations to come.”<\/p>\n

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Jeffrey Hembree performs fence maintenance and weed spray in Opaeula.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the years, KMWP<\/abbr> has implemented various conservation strategies, including invasive species control, fencing and feral ungulate monitoring, and native plant restoration.<\/p>\n

“Landscape level conservation often occurs on long timescales, but I have seen a significant positive impact from KMWP<\/abbr>‘s work during my 10 year tenure,” KMWP<\/abbr> Wildlife Management Specialist Jordan Lewis said.<\/p>\n

Funding for projects comes from a variety of sources, including the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> State Department of Forestry and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and non-government groups. A recent project, funded by the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> State Department of Health\u2019s Clean Water Branch, resulted in the planting of 574 native plants in the Waiheʻe<\/span> and M\u0101noa Cliffs restoration sites.<\/p>\n

The organization\u2019s impact is far-reaching. Approximately 30% of rainfall in the Koʻolau<\/span> Mountains flows into streams, throughout the entire island from mountains to sea. KMWP<\/abbr>\u2019s efforts help minimize erosion, reduce fire and flooding risks and maintain the health of Oʻahu<\/span>\u2019s water systems.<\/p>\n

Community support crucial<\/h2>\n

The partnership\u2019s success relies heavily on the support of its member organizations and landowners, which provide access to priority watershed forests and, in some cases, funding opportunities.<\/p>\n

“The success of KMWP<\/abbr> over the past 25 years is a direct result of our dedicated landowner partners who have opened their lands for conservation efforts,” Adams said. “These access rights are vital because plants and animals, whether native or invasive, do not respect property boundaries. Partnership access means that the KMWP<\/abbr> project field staff can protect more of our remnant native forests and control invasive species.”<\/p>\n

The organization welcomes new partners to join its mission. For more information, visit the KMWP<\/abbr> website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Its efforts focus on protecting native forests, which are crucial for soil retention, water absorption and aquifer recharge. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[308,1467,1314,568,367,731,73,9,1043],"class_list":["post-202743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-college-of-natural-sciences","tag-manoa-excellence-in-research","tag-manoa-sustainability","tag-natural-science","tag-pacific-cooperative-studies-unit","tag-plants","tag-sustainability","tag-uh-manoa","tag-water","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t