Commission on Water Resource Management

Ke Kahuwai Pono

Introduction

The  State of Hawaiʻi Commission on Water Resource Management  ("Water Commission;" CWRM) is responsible for overseeing the protection, management, and regulation of all freshwater resources in Hawaiʻi. CWRM was established in 1987 to implement and administer the  State Water Code  (the Water Code) due to amendments of the State constitution in 1978. While CWRM has broad authorities to protect and regulate both water quantity and quality, it commonly defers to the  Hawaiʻi Department of Health  (HDOH) -- a co-trustee of water -- on water quality issues. Nonetheless, all State and County agencies have a shared kuleana (responsibility, privilege) to protect our precious and sacred wai (fresh water).

It is recognized that the waters of the State are held for the benefit of the citizens of the State.  It is declared that the people of the State are beneficiaries and have a right to have the waters protected for their use.

State Water Code, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes §174C-2(a), "Declaration of policy."

CWRM’s mission is to protect and manage the waters of the State and provide for the maximum beneficial use of water by present and future generations. This mission aligns with an important principle of Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) traditional water management, which holds that water is a public trust resource that cannot be owned and must be stewarded for the benefit of all. However, for over a century prior to the establishment of the Water Code, water was not managed in this way. Starting in the mid- 1800s, plantation interests and a disregard for the legal precedent set forth by the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi led to water mismanagement and the illegal commodification of water. After decades of water being treated like a commodity, in 1978 the Hawai'i Constitutional Convention explicitly recognized the State’s, “obligation to protect, control and regulate the use of Hawai‘i’s water resources for the benefit of its people” - an overall obligation we call the public trust. This became enshrined in  Article XI , Section 7 of the State Constitution. Since the 1978 Constitutional Convention, the inception of the Water Code, and associated administrative rules, the interpretation and implementation of these laws continue to evolve.

Due to the climate crisis and continued uncertainty in climate patterns affecting things like temperature, rainfall, fire risk, and other growing pressures on water supply, it has become increasingly important to steward our water resources. Reckoning with Hawaiʻi's history of water mismanagement is also a significant part of water equity and management.

In sum, CWRM has a challenging but important duty to fulfill. This StoryMap serves as a basic introduction to the work of CWRM and its programs and policies. In the first two sections, you can learn about the water cycle ( Aia I Hea Ka Wai A Kāne? - Where are the waters of Kāne? ), and how CWRM's work supports sustainable food production and habitat protection ( Ola I Ka Wai A Ka ʻŌpua  - There is life in the water from the clouds). Under  Interactive Maps , you can see the locations of mandated water management measures in our state, such as interim instream flow standards (IIFS). The final section,  The Hawaiʻi Water Plan (HWP) , details the importance of long-range planning and how the HWP helps CWRM fulfill its mission to protect, manage, and regulate water management in Hawaiʻi. To navigate the StoryMap, you can scroll through each section, or click on a heading in the banner to jump to a specific section.


Aia I Hea Ka Wai A Kāne?

Where are the waters of Kāne?

"Aia i hea ka wai a Kāne?" is a repeating line from a mele (chant) called He Mele No Kāne. He Mele No Kāne speaks to the cultural and spiritual significance of fresh water, a resource so sacred and revered to Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiians) that it is seen as the kinolau (physical embodiment) of Kāne, the deity who brought fresh water to the islands. The mele speaks of all the many forms of fresh water in Hawaiʻi - from the rain and mist, to the deep underground aquifers and ocean. It tells of the continuous cycle of water from sea to sky to Earth. While the water cycle is crucial for replenishing fresh water anywhere, it is especially vital in Hawaiʻi. As islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, each island must rely on its own fresh water supply to meet its demands, as transporting water between islands or importing water from another place is currently impossible.


Ola I Ka Wai A Ka ʻŌpua

There is life in the water from the clouds.

Clouds bring life to our islands by replenishing freshwater sources, through rain and fog. A reliable supply of fresh water is needed for all living beings. Water provides many things of value, including hydration, growing food, and maintenance of Hawaiʻi's beautiful natural landscapes and the species who call them home. Water management supports these important purposes by ensuring the responsible sharing and protection of our aquifers and streams. CWRM can accomplish this in multiple ways, including through the designation of Water Management Areas (WMA), issuing water use permits, and the enforcement of rules, orders, and statutes. CWRM is comprised of a  7-member Commission  who are supported administratively and technically by a  Deputy Director  and  staff  that make up four branches: Ground Water Regulation; Planning; Stream Protection and Management; and Survey. This section illustrates the range of CWRM's management responsibilities, organized around several water-related themes central to its expansive mission.

Drinking water

Two staff members in the field check a deep monitor well.

CWRM's Survey Branch staff go out to check and log data from each deep monitor well four times a year.

Virtually all of Hawaiʻi's drinking water comes from groundwater, with only a few exceptions. Stewarding these aquifers is important to ensure water remains safe and plentiful, which is why CWRM undertakes various efforts to monitor and manage aquifer health. Drinking water is essential to life, making the monitoring and management of drinking water sources –– whether ground or surface water –– a key component of the State's public trust duties (the State's obligation to protect, control and regulate the use of Hawaiʻi’s water resources for the benefit of its people).

To keep track of general aquifer conditions, CWRM and its partners maintain a network of  deep monitoring wells  (DMWs) (see the  Interactive Maps  section for locations of existing deep monitor wells). These wells extend all the way through the freshwater lens into the underlying brackish (semi-salty) and saltwater layers. Data from DMWs are used to estimate the thickness of the freshwater lens and the brackish transition zone. Changes in these numbers can indicate if an aquifer is becoming saltier or if the amount of water in the aquifer is decreasing too quickly. CWRM also works with partners to estimate and track trends in rainfall, fog drip, and evapotranspiration rates to better understand groundwater recharge. This data helps predict how much drinking water will be available in the future.

For all types of wells, CWRM reviews and issues well construction and pump installation  permits  to ensure they follow appropriate  standards  set by CWRM's Ground Water Regulation Branch. Well users are also required to  report well data  every month, including the amount of water pumped, chloride (salt) concentrations, temperature, and the water level of the well when the pump is off. This helps CWRM keep track of what is happening broadly in any given aquifer over time.

Map of designated Water Management Areas in Hawaiʻi (as of May 17, 2023). The Ground Water Management Areas are: all sectors on Oʻahu except the Waiʻanae sector, the entire island of Molokaʻi, and the Lahaina sector and ʻĪao system on Maui.

A map that includes existing Ground Water Management Areas in Hawaiʻi (as of May 17, 2023).

When the continued use of groundwater in an area becomes at risk, CWRM has authority to designate a  Ground Water Management Area  (GWMA). This can be done for various reasons, such as evidence of decreasing water quality, excessive groundwater waste, severe water disputes, or concerning decreases in water levels. Anyone can  petition  CWRM to designate a GWMA or CWRM staff can present the Commission with a designation recommendation. The process is lengthy and involves many hearings, requests for comments, and reports. If the GWMA designation is approved, CWRM must review and approve  water use permits  for all uses of groundwater in the WMA.

Sustainable yield is an important management tool for protecting groundwater. It is the maximum amount of water that can be withdrawn from an aquifer without negatively affecting water quality or use – both important aspects for protecting a reliable source of safe drinking water. If withdrawal of groundwater from an aquifer reaches 90% of its sustainable yield, that is a trigger for CWRM to consider designating the aquifer as a WMA.

CWRM collaborates with the U.S. Geological Survey to use groundwater recharge data to calculate sustainable yield, measured in millions of gallons per day (mgd)––that is, how much water, on average, can be withdrawn or pumped from the aquifer every day.

...the amount of ground water that can be developed in any Hawaiʻi aquifer is limited by the amount of natural recharge. [However, s]ome aquifer outflow or leakage must be maintained to prevent seawater intrusion or to maintain some perennial streamflow. Therefore, the sustainable yield of an aquifer normally represents a percentage of the natural recharge.

Water Resources Protection Plan 2019 Update, Appendix F, p. 52

CWRM periodically updates sustainable yield as new data becomes available. There is also still an imprecise understanding of our aquifers and exactly where and how they connect to each other, surface water, and the ocean. The boundaries that define an aquifer area and its sustainable yield are mostly based on surface features since there is not yet enough robust subsurface information. Therefore, while the aquifer boundaries (hydrologic units) are useful management tools, they are not absolute boundaries or numbers, but rather guidelines and approximations.

Six islands have been divided into groundwater zones (hydrologic units), each with a different calculated estimation of sustainable yield.

Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) traditional and customary rights and practices

Water is central to many Native Hawaiian subsistence, cultural, and religious practices: for example, the cultivation of kalo (taro); gathering of significant native species like limu, hīhīwai (), and ʻoʻopu (seaweed, freshwater limpet, and freshwater goby, respectively); and various ceremonies all rely on fresh water. Therefore, at least one of the seven Water Commissioners must have substantial experience or expertise in traditional Hawaiian water resource management techniques and in traditional Hawaiian riparian usage (use of the stream bank or land next to a stream).

CWRM has several ways to protect these practices. In a WMA, where a permit is required for most water users, CWRM must review permit applications to ensure that the proposed water use is consistent with the public interest and is a reasonable and beneficial use of water. The protection of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights is defined in the Water Code as a public interest, and the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court has further confirmed that the exercise of traditional and customary Native Hawaiian rights is one of four public trust uses of water. Therefore, unless CWRM reasons that an exception is in the greater public interest, they cannot approve permits for a water use that would harm these rights.

Outside of WMAs, water users do not apply for a water use permit, so CWRM has no direct control over the specific amount of water that is used. However, CWRM can protect the availability of surface water through the establishment of permanent or  interim instream flow standards  (IIFSs). These standards set the minimum amount, flow rate, or depth of water required to be at a particular point in a stream. These standards may support, for example, sufficient streamflow for ʻoʻopu to complete their life cycle, or water to grow kalo.

...instream flow standards serve as the primary mechanism by which the Commission is to discharge its duty to protect and promote the entire range of public trust purposes dependent upon instream flows.

Hawaiʻi Supreme Court decision, Waiāhole Ditch Combined Contested Case, p. 148 (In re Water Use Permit Applications, 94 Haw. 97, 148, 9 P.3d 409 (Haw. 2000))

Comparative flow chart of the process to set an interim versus permanent instream flow standard. Both processes require CWRM staff to conduct an inventory of best available information, seek agency review and comments, issue a public notice, and for staff to compile and evaluate new information as it collects it from agencies and the public. The main difference between the two is that for an interim IFS, CWRM will conduct a public fact gathering meeting as part of its process, and after all steps are finished, it prepares a recommendation for an IIFS amendment at a CWRM meeting. Whereas, for a permanent IFS, CWRM staff must publish a notice of intent before seeking agency comments, and it must hold a public hearing before CWRM can take action on the proposed permanent IFS.

The process to set an interim versus permanent instream flow standard. In the 1980s, CWRM set the IIFS for all streams in Hawaiʻi at "status quo," i.e., the water in the streams at that time. In 2000, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled this was inadequate and CWRM must methodically designate an interim IFS. However, there are about 376 perennial streams statewide, and many more annual and ephemeral streams, so many status quo IIFSs have yet to be updated. Most IIFS petitions are to amend status quo IIFSs, but any IIFS can be amended. To date, no permanent IFSs have been set.

Instream flow standards protect not only Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices, but also a variety of beneficial instream uses and public trust purposes. Like designating a WMA,  the process  to determine an interim or permanent instream flow standard is complex and can be initiated by the recommendation of CWRM staff or a  petition  from a member of the public. The flow chart here is a simplification of the IFS process. To see where IIFSs have been set thus far in Hawaiʻi, please visit the  Interactive Maps  section.

Like other State and County agencies, CWRM has a responsibility to assess whether an action will impact Kanaka ʻŌiwi traditional and customary rights. This applies to actions both in- and outside of WMAs. Before CWRM undertakes an action, such as approving a water use permit, the applicant must conduct a Ka Paʻakai analysis. In brief, this means identifying if and what traditional and customary practices would be impacted by the proposed action, and what steps, if any, are feasible and will be taken to protect the affected rights.

To ensure the perpetuation and protection of Hawaiian traditional resource management practices, the State Legislature mandated the creation of the  Aha Moku Advisory Committee  (AMAC) in 2012. They serve as a valuable partner to CWRM, helping to coordinate and facilitate the review of permits with cultural practitioners and lineal descendants to determine if the resources and their practices may be impacted by a proposed project.

Hawaiian home lands

The  Department of Hawaiian Home Lands  (DHHL) is the primary implementing agency of Congress’s 1920 Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. As part of its mandate, DHHL provides land leases to native Hawaiian beneficiaries (defined by Congress as a person 50% or more Hawaiian by blood) at a nominal rate for residential, agricultural, or pastoral purposes. However, in order for this land to be useable, it must have water. CWRM has the power to decide when it should reserve water in an area for a particular purpose, and it uses this power to reserve water for DHHL's present and future needs. The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court has ruled that reserving water for DHHL is a recognized public trust purpose.

In a WMA specifically, all applicants for a water use permit must show that their use of water will not impact DHHL's water-related rights. Only those for whom the water has been reserved are eligible to receive a permit for its use. That means when CWRM reserves water for DHHL in a WMA, CWRM will only issue a permit to DHHL for that water. Until such a permit is issued, CWRM will "set aside" DHHL's reservation of water so no other water user is permitted to use it.

Food production

The State of Hawaiʻi has set a  target  to double local food production by 2030, and the  Aloha+ Challenge  has set an additional goal for locally grown food to make up 20-30% of Hawaiʻi's total consumption by 2030.

The rain brings life to our islands in many forms––not only in providing drinking water but also providing water needed to grow food. Agriculture and animal husbandry depend on reliable sources of water for crops, feed, and animal drinking water. In traditional agriculture, kalo farming, specifically kalo wai, requires consistent flows of water to flood the loʻi kalo (taro patch). Several subsistence food sources depend specifically on streams; for example, many fish species start their lives in the muliwai (estuary), an ecosystem zone which only exists where fresh water mixes with the ocean. Growing our local food production industry and ensuring subsistence food sources persist is important to improving Hawaiʻi's food security, and responsible water stewardship is a vital component to achieving this successfully and sustainably.

Water for food production purposes typically comes from surface water unless using a public water system. Therefore,  surface water management  is especially relevant to agriculture and other food production needs. CWRM manages surface water through IIFSs, various permits, and WMAs.

Relevant to food production, IIFSs can be set to protect the flow of water to be diverted further downstream for irrigation and domestic water uses; maintenance of ecosystems and habitat; and protection of Native Hawaiian traditional subsistence gathering, fishing, and hunting. There are two types of surface water permits issued statewide. In order to make temporary or permanent changes to a stream bed or bank, a  stream channel alteration permit  is needed. In order to divert water from a stream for any purpose, agricultural or otherwise, a  stream diversion works permit  is needed. CWRM reviews both types of permit applications to assess for potential impacts on: a) the stream environment; b) other existing instream; non-stream, and permitted uses; and c) the public interest. The owners of stream diversions are also required to  report water use data  every month. This helps inform CWRM's water management.

Map of designated Water Management Areas in Hawaiʻi (as of May 17, 2023). Most of West Maui is a Surface Water Management Area and is the only area in the state under a SWMA designation.

A map that includes existing Surface Water Management Areas in Hawaiʻi (as of May 17, 2023). Currently, West Maui is the only location with SWMAs.

The other type of surface water permit CWRM issues is a  water use permit,  which is only issued in a WMA. Just as with ground water, CWRM has the authority to declare a  Surface Water Management Area  (SWMA). It can do this for various reasons, such as severe water disputes, evidence of lowered surface water levels that may harm existing water uses, or diversions causing water quality impacts that harm public health or instream uses. Anyone can  petition  CWRM to designate a SWMA, or CWRM staff can present the Water Commissioners with a designation recommendation. The process is lengthy and involves many hearings, requests for comments, and reports. If the SWMA designation is approved, CWRM must review and approve permits for all uses of surface water in the SWMA.

Biodiversity

Hawaiʻi is home to many species found nowhere else in the world. Just like people, plants and animals depend on streams and springs for water. Plants get their water from rainfall, streams, or groundwater depending on where they are found. Riparian species could not exist without the abundance of readily available fresh water that streams provide. Various birds, insects, and other species, in turn, rely on riparian and freshwater species for food, nesting material, protection, and other purposes. Streams also play a unique role in diadromous species' lifecycles (those that live in both fresh and salt water at different points in their life) because there needs to be a continuous connection between upland streams and the ocean for those species to survive. Even for species that live fully in the ocean, certain marine species, such as limu, depend on aquifers because the  underwater release  of fresh groundwater provides an additional source of nutrients for them.

Staff member in a wet suit and snorkel mask is face down in a stream to count stream life.

Stream Protection and Management Branch​ staff regularly conduct field visits. Sometimes, these visits include a biota survey to investigate or monitor stream life abundance.

Biodiversity is prioritized in a few ways within Hawaiʻi's water management regime. Native Hawaiians must be able to meaningfully exercise their traditional and customary rights. Thus, potential impacts to species related to those rights, such as traditional foods, building materials, or medicines, are part of a Ka Paʻakai analysis. Irrespective of any human use, the Code further defines the protection of fish and wildlife (including their ability to mate and breed) and "the maintenance of proper ecological balance" to be in the public interest. The Water Code also defines the maintenance of fish and wildlife habitat and ecosystems as beneficial instream uses of water.

CWRM can help protect surface water availability for habitat and ecosystems by setting IIFSs for ecological needs. Almost one-third of current IIFSs have been calculated to include water in some way for habitat or biodiversity purposes. In addition, in WMAs, permit applicants need to demonstrate that their proposed water use is consistent with the public interest. Biodiversity considerations, as mentioned above, are part of the overall "public interest" that CWRM weighs against the applicant's proposed water use. Even in a GWMA, biodiversity is accounted for as part of the public interest because of perennial streams' dependence on groundwater discharge in the dry season and the offshore benefits of groundwater to coastal species.

This is a small sample of the numerous species that depend on the ground and surface water that CWRM manages statewide. Pictured from left to right: ʻoʻopu nopili (Sicyopterus stimpsoni); koloa maoli (Anas wyvilliana); pinapinao (Megalagrion spp.); ʻoʻopu nākea (Awaous stamineus); lehua makanoe (Lysimachia daphnoides); ʻamaʻama (Mugil cephalus); aeʻo (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni); ʻahuʻawa, ʻehuʻawa (Cyperus javanicus).

Protecting the future

Competition for fresh water, increasing population and development pressures, ecological changes, and the impacts of global climate change are all affecting Hawaiʻi's water needs and water availability. Moreover, in some areas of the state, demand for water is approaching the sustainable limits of supply, and these demands are expected to increase in the future. Planning for and projecting future water needs is vital to water managers. One of the main responsibilities of CWRM's Planning Branch is to develop comprehensive, long-range plans for the protection, conservation, and management of Hawaiʻi's water resources. The Hawaiʻi Water Plan is central to this kind of planning work. You can learn more about the  Hawaiʻi Water Plan  in a later section. In addition to the Hawai'i Water Plan, there are other plans that CWRM develops.

Water shortages are one of the most critical situations on an island, so it is important to prepare for how to respond. In 2020, CWRM released a  water shortage plan  for the Pearl Harbor aquifer. The Water Code specifically requires CWRM to formulate water shortage plans for WMAs, and CWRM is working on developing other shortage plans for other areas around the state. CWRM has also drafted plans for Water Conservation, Water Reuse, and  Drought . A future with climate change means longer periods of drought, making water conservation and water reuse critical facets of CWRM's long-range planning approach.


Interactive Maps

In this section, you will find maps of some of the key water management features that have been discussed in this StoryMap. This section includes interactive maps and information about the state's surface water hydrologic units, CWRM's deep monitor wells (DMWs), CWRM and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) surface water monitoring gages, and where interim instream flow standards (IIFSs) have been set thus far in Hawaiʻi.

Surface water hydrologic units

This map displays all 560 surface water hydrologic units (SWHUs) statewide. For general purposes, SWHUs can be considered watersheds (also called drainage basins) since the unit boundaries closely match watershed boundaries. A watershed is the area where all streams and runoff within its boundaries will eventually flow (drain) to the same point. Hydrologic units allow CWRM to organize, analyze, store, and communicate information simply and systematically regarding the water resources of a given area.

Deep monitor wells (DMWs)

To keep track of general aquifer conditions, CWRM maintains a network of DMWs. Data from these DMWs can indicate if the amount of available fresh water is decreasing, such as through saltwater intrusion or high water use, and provide information about the general health of the aquifer. The  U.S. Geological Survey  (USGS) also collects deep monitor well data through agreements with CWRM and other government agencies, and the  Honolulu Board of Water Supply  (BWS) maintains its own deep monitor well network on Oʻahu.

The map below shows where CWRM's deep monitor wells are located, as well as the ground water hydrologic units of the state. More DMWs are planned statewide. To see data from the DMWs, visit CWRM's  website .

CWRM and USGS surface water monitoring gages

Collecting data about stream flow is necessary to understand stream conditions over time and how they are affected by factors such as weather, water use, and climate change. This data can help refine sustainable yield numbers, be alerted to potential drought conditions, and inform an interim instream flow standard (IIFS). When an IIFS is set, surface water gages (tools to measure stream conditions, such as the rate of flow) are further important to monitor for compliance. CWRM has many of its own gages throughout the state, but it also partners with other entities to share their gage data with each other. The  USGS  is a major data-sharing partner, and their gages are routinely used and referenced in CWRM's work. For this reason, both CWRM and USGS gages are included in the map below.

This map displays three groups (layers) of information: monitoring gage locations (color-coded by gage type), ditches (black lines), and streams (blue lines). At any time, you can click the >> arrow symbol in the upper left-hand corner to select which layer(s) to display on the map. You may also click the drop-down arrow next to each layer name to display its legend, such as the color code for each gage type.

Interim instream flow standards (IIFSs)

IIFSs are defined geographically – that is, the standard applies to a specific point or part of a stream. The map below displays the name and location of different points where CWRM has set an IIFS. To this date, CWRM has not set any permanent instream flow standards (IFSs), so all instream flow standards shown on the map are interim, which means they can be changed. The map also highlights any stream that has at least one IIFS set somewhere along its length.

This map categorizes the duration of an IIFS as either annual or phased (not an official distinction, only used for clarity here). "Annual" means the standard applies year-round and only one standard was set. "Phased" means that an initial IIFS was set, with certain conditional triggers to change that IIFS to a new amount (for example, it may say that once XYZ construction project goes into operation, the IIFS changes to a new amount). The IIFS and trigger for each phase are explained in the notes of any phased IIFS.

For all IIFS points, the information card will contain coordinates, the stream name, duration of the IIFS, amount of the IIFS, when it went into effect, and either a) the CWRM Declaration and Order number that set the IIFS or b) the date of the public meeting when CWRM took action to set the IIFS, plus the abbreviated title of the relevant agenda item. Some IIFSs were described qualitatively (e.g., "natural stream flow," "provide a wetted path"), but for those that were set at a specific flow rate, the rate is listed in both millions of gallons per day (mgd) and cubic feet per second (cfs). If a gage has been designated to monitor compliance with the IIFS, the ID number of the gage is provided. Any further notes about an IIFS are in the information card that displays when you click on the IIFS point.


The Hawaiʻi Water Plan

Aspiring to be Ke Kahuwai Pono –– the righteous trustee of water –– CWRM recognizes the importance of a holistic planning approach in protecting water resources. The  Hawai‘i Water Plan  (HWP) is a long-range plan mandated by the Water Code and prepared by CWRM to ensure sustainable water management and uphold the public trust doctrine. The HWP consists of an overarching framework and five separate component plans –– the Water Resource Protection Plan (WRPP), Water Quality Plan (WQP), State Water Projects Plan (SWPP), Agriculture Water Use and Development Plan (AWUDP), and the County Water Use and Development Plans (WUDPs) –– that collectively aim to bridge land and water use development. Several agencies and governing bodies are responsible for the components that make up the HWP. For an interconnected and holistic management of all water resources, all agencies and governing bodies must develop plans that are cohesive, mutually supportive, and consistent with the public trust. This integrated approach ensures that water is managed sustainably across various sectors and recognizes the interdependence of different water uses and sources.

Public Trust Doctrine (PTD)

Central to this holistic, integrated approach are the four public trust purposes, which govern water resource management in Hawai'i. These purposes, briefly described in previous sections, include: 1) the maintenance of water in its natural state; 2) domestic use; 3) traditional and customary rights; and 4) water for DHHL reservations. As stated in the contested case hearing (CCH) Waiāhole (2000), “Article XI, Section 1 and Article XI, Section 7 adopt the public trust doctrine (PTD) as a fundamental principle of constitutional law in Hawai‘i.” The Hawaiʻi State Constitution recognizes that water resources are part of the public trust. Public trust purposes were established in the Waiāhole (2000) and Wai‘ola o Moloka‘i (2004) CCHs. “In view of the ultimate value of water to the ancient Hawaiians, it is inescapable that the sovereign reservation was intended to guarantee public rights to all water, regardless of its immediate source” (Waiāhole I, 94 Haw. 97 (2000)). Accordingly, every entity involved in implementing a component of the HWP is accountable for upholding these four public trust purposes.

Statewide Framework for Updating the Hawaiʻi Water Plan

The  Statewide Framework for Updating the Hawaiʻi Water Plan  ("Framework") is meant to provide guidance in the integration of the various components of the HWP and give additional direction to the various agencies responsible for the preparation of those components. Most importantly, it provides the lens by which we should plan for the protection and management of water. The previous framework, established in 2000, no longer meets the current needs and challenges faced by water resource managers, including how to address the impacts of climate change. The updated Framework (expected to finalize in 2025) represents CWRM's strategic approach to collaborative water management, often referred to as Hawai’i’s ‘One Water.’ The goal is to enhance the HWP by making it more integrated, enabling more holistic-decision making across various sectors and agencies. Through this update, CWRM aims to build on the unique cultural foundations and values of Native Hawaiians, with a focus on the interconnectedness and sanctity of wai (water).

To conclude this StoryMap's introduction to the work of CWRM, the remaining sub-sections summarize the purpose of each component of the Hawaiʻi Water Plan. It is important to remember that these five components are parts of an integrated whole, so while each one addresses a different aspect and use of water management, they should be taken together and read complementary to each other.

Water Resource Protection Plan

CWRM is responsible for the preparation of the  Water Resource Protection Plan  (WRPP), which is a key component of the Hawaiʻi Water Plan. The objective of the WRPP is to protect and sustain ground and surface water resources, watersheds, and natural stream environments statewide. Such protection requires a comprehensive study of occurrence, sustainability, conservation, augmentation, and other resource management measures. The first WRPP was completed in 1990, followed by updates in 2008 and 2019.

A comprehensive WRPP should clearly describe and define the goals, objectives, and policies established by CWRM. Policies should be defined as to statewide and regional- or aquifer-specific provisions, and they should guide agencies in the development of both supply-side and demand-side options. 

Water Quality Plan

A hand fills a glass with water from the sink.

The major objective of the  Water Quality Plan  (WQP) is to protect public health and sensitive ecological systems by preserving, protecting, restoring, and enhancing the quality of ground and surface waters throughout the state. Development of this component of the HWP is the responsibility of the  Hawai'i Department of Health  (HDOH). The purpose of the Water Quality Plan is to provide information on DOH’s ongoing water quality work across many of its different programs, as well as lay out its future direction by setting goals and priority action items. The first WQP was published in 1990 and updated in 2019.

Climate change is having broad-reaching effects in Hawaiʻi, the United States, and throughout the world. Therefore, the DOH Water Programs are taking climate change into account as they move forward with their water quality work. This is particularly important because some of Hawaiʻi’s drinking water wells have experienced an increase in salinity and will continue to experience such increases as sea levels rise over the next several decades. Thus, water reuse helps to reduce the pressure on drinking water supplies.  

State Water Projects Plan

The major objective of the  State Water Projects Plan  (SWPP) is to provide a framework for the planning and implementation of water development programs to meet projected water demands for state projects. The plan shall be implemented in coordination with the County Water Use and Development Plans to ensure orderly authorization and development. Source development strategies should provide for future possibilities that may arise in the face of particular outcomes. The first SWPP was published in 2003 and updated in 2017, followed by another update in 2020 that is pending official adoption by CWRM.

The responsibility for maintaining, monitoring, and updating the SWPP document resides with the  Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Engineering Division . However, it is recommended that each State department annually update project information to monitor demand forecasts and implementation of water development strategies.

Agricultural Water Use and Development Plan

A flooded kalo patch in Heʻeia, Oʻahu with the Koʻolau mountains in the background.

The major objective of the  Agricultural Water Use and Development Plan  (AWUDP) is to develop a long-range management plan that assesses State and private agricultural water use, supply, and irrigation water systems. The plan shall address projected water demands and prioritized rehabilitation of existing agricultural water systems. The  Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture  (HDOA) prepares and updates the AWUDP document along with developing a master irrigation inventory plan. CWRM must also include the AWUDP in the State Water Projects Plan. The first AWUDP was published in 2004, followed by an update in 2021.

County Water Use and Development Plans

The  County Water Use and Development Plans  (WUDPs) aim to inventory all projected water demands within each county to ensure future needs are met. The WUDPs should outline the allocation of water for land use in that county, and maintain consistency with County zoning and land use policies. These plans inform future land use planning and guide CWRM in its planning and decision-making on water allocations, reservation requests, and development of water resources to meet projected demands.

The responsibility for preparation of the County WUDP rests with the respective County – more precisely, the specific entities charged with water planning within that County, as dictated by County ordinance. The Statewide Framework for Updating the Hawaiʻi Water Plan recommends that each County specify the actual roles and responsibilities of the various County agencies involved in the development of and preparation of the WUDPs.

All four Counties developed their first WUDPs in 1989 and 1990. Since then, the  County of Hawaiʻi  updated its WUDP in 2010, with a separate update in 2017 specifically for the Keauhou Aquifer. The  County of Kauaʻi  released its updated WUDP in 2024. The  County of Maui  has updated its WUDP by developing individual WUDPs for the islands of Lānaʻi and Maui in 2011 and 2019 respectively; an individual WUDP for  Molokaʻi Island  is still in progress. The  City and County of Honolulu  has also chosen to update its WUDP via smaller, individual plans. Five watershed management plans (East Honolulu, Koʻolau Loa, Koʻolau Poko, North Shore, and Waiʻanae) have been released since 2009, and three plans (Central Oʻahu, ʻEwa, and Primary Urban Center) are in progress.

Acknowledgments

This StoryMap was made possible in part with support from the Yale Tropical Resources Institute and the Yale School of the Environment.

Visit  https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/cwrm/newsevents/meetings/  for CWRM's meeting schedule, and find live streams and recordings of past meetings here:

CWRM's Survey Branch staff go out to check and log data from each deep monitor well four times a year.

A map that includes existing Ground Water Management Areas in Hawaiʻi (as of May 17, 2023).

The process to set an interim versus permanent instream flow standard. In the 1980s, CWRM set the IIFS for all streams in Hawaiʻi at "status quo," i.e., the water in the streams at that time. In 2000, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled this was inadequate and CWRM must methodically designate an interim IFS. However, there are about 376 perennial streams statewide, and many more annual and ephemeral streams, so many status quo IIFSs have yet to be updated. Most IIFS petitions are to amend status quo IIFSs, but any IIFS can be amended. To date, no permanent IFSs have been set.

A map that includes existing Surface Water Management Areas in Hawaiʻi (as of May 17, 2023). Currently, West Maui is the only location with SWMAs.

Stream Protection and Management Branch​ staff regularly conduct field visits. Sometimes, these visits include a biota survey to investigate or monitor stream life abundance.