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Haʻikū Community Water Resource Planning

Haʻikū and Huelo Community Meeting and Listening Session

Co-hosted by the Haʻikū Community Association
part of the East Maui Water Authority Community Conversation Series June 16-18

Wednesday June 18, 2025 | 6:30 to 8:30pm
Haʻikū Community Center, Hana Highway at Pilialoha St

Description:

The East Maui Watershed, approximately 120,000 acres, provides the largest source of surface water in the state.  It is essential that we play a role in the management and use of these water resources to ensure that our community benefits and issues such as long-term water availability, food security, climate resilience are addressed.  This is the first time a community led and culturally based watershed plan will be developed for the Huelo area. Residents now have an opportunity to share their knowledge and priorities.

The Public Finance Initiative and East Maui Water Authority will engage Haiku and Huelo residents, farmers, policymakers and anyone concerned about the watershed and Huelo surface water in a deep diving discussion about water resource management and how it can support Haiku and Huelo residents. The meeting will include:

  • Explanation of how watershed and water resource management can and should address: climate change and resilience; water availability for food security and farming and equitable access for local communities.
  • Panel discussion: Lessons from national and global water management, indigenous rights, and sustainable stewardship.
  • Listening session with meeting participants on:
    • watershed history and memories of the community over time and is environment
    • current watershed conditions and priorities
    • specific watershed needs and program priorities
    • preferences for policymaking and management of water, their watershed and water resources in the state license area.

Goals:

The East Maui Water Authority is working to reframe the discussion around water resource planning to bring a community-based perspective focused on meeting the needs of the watershed community. The goal of the meeting is to better understand community sentiments and harness them into actionable efforts to support local management of local resources.  Information from the meetings will be used to guide the EMWAʻs efforts in working with the state and private interests and form the basis of the first ever community-based, culturally rooted watershed management plan for the East Maui water collection area.