Watershed

Halama Wetlands

The Halama Wetlands in Kīhei are part of the greater Welakahao wetland system, fed by Kēōkea Gulch and the Kula Kai aquifer. As a cryptorheic wetland separated from the ocean

The Role of the Ewa Wetland in Kihei’s Drainage System

The Ewa Wetland is not just a low-lying parcel of land—it is one of the most critical natural drainage assets in all of South Kihei. According to the County’s drainage

NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE: These last remaining wetlands in Kihei are nature’s drainage infrastructure. If we lose this wetland the neighborhood will be underwater when the next flooding rains come.

Ewa Wetland – Kihei

The Ewa wetland is an example of a landlocked wetland. With no obvious overland outlets to the ocean this wetland is still a catchment and detention basin and performs a

Kihei stormwater drains culverts and gulches clogged with silt reducing drainage capacity and increasing flood risk

Post-Storm Reality: Our Drainage System Is Compromised

Heavy sediment buildup across Kihei’s storm drains, culverts, and gulches has reduced flow capacity throughout the drainage system. Without immediate clearing, the next major storm will cause more severe and

Waipuilani Gulch Greenway Bridge concept showing full-width flood conveyance crossing over gulch in Kihei with surrounding residential neighborhoods

Waipuilani Gulch Greenway Bridge: What Actually Needs to Be Built

Waipuilani Gulch is not a single crossing problem. It is a continuous mauka-to-makai flood system that collects both upcountry runoff and localized rainfall across Kihei before converging into a constrained

South Maui flooding in Kihei during intense Kona storm with heavy rain over Haleakala and flooded South Kihei Road

Flooding, Rainfall, and Storm Events in South Maui

The March 2026 storm broke records at Kahului Airport, but South Kīhei’s flood history goes back decades. Rainfall data, stream flow records, road closures, and lived experience all point to

Collapsed roadways expose stormwater pipes and underground utility infrastructure after flooding in a coastal environment

South Maui’s Stormwater System: Why It Fails When It Matters Most

Flooding in Kihei is not random. It’s the result of a stormwater system that fails under real conditions, leaving streets, homes, and communities exposed.

Kihei watershed includes water flowing from Haleakalā and surrounding uplands through gulches across the floodplain into coastal wetlands and the ocean

Understanding Kihei’s Stormwater System: The Language of Wai

Kihei flooding is not random. It follows natural pathways shaped by wai, gulches, wetlands, and the coastal plain. This explains how the system works—and why it fails.

North Kīhei flood damage with vehicle in drainage channel, debris blocking bridges, flooded roads, and stormwater overflow after Maui storm

Kīhei Flooding: A Disaster We Knew Was Coming

Record rainfall across South Maui pushed water, mud, and debris through every gulch and drainage system at once, overwhelming infrastructure never designed for real flood conditions. From washed-out roads to

Waipuilani Mauka

Waipuilani Mauka is an undeveloped scrub-shrub wetland in Kihei, shaped by groundwater, seasonal flooding, engineered drainage changes, and surrounding development. The site shows signs of wetland hydrology, including altered vegetation,

Kalama Wetlands

The Kalama Wetlands at Kalama Park in Kīhei are one of South Maui’s last remaining perennial estuary wetlands. Fed by groundwater springs and connected to the Haleakalā watershed, they help

Salty Groundwater and Concrete Foundations: A Rising Concern

Importance of a Viable Drainage Plan for the South Maui Flood Plain

Importance of a Viable Drainage Plan for the South Maui Flood Plain A viable drainage plan for the South Maui floodplain is

Preserving Paradise The Maui County Wetlands Protection Bill and Its Impact

Preserving Paradise: The Maui County Wetlands Protection Bill and Its Impact Maui County, renowned for its stunning landscapes and rich biodiversity, has

Waipuilani Wetland 16E

The 16E Waipuilani Road wetland site is one of the last undeveloped parcels within Kihei’s larger wetland complex. This low-lying site provides stormwater detention, floodwater infiltration, groundwater exchange, and habitat

The Waipuilani Kai Wetland usually has permanent spring-fed surface water (foreground area).

Waipuilani Wetlands

This area once contained many permanent freshwater lagoons that were used for bathing. This area also once supported a large fishing and agricultural community. Today much of this area is

Ancient Hawaiian Fishponds of Kihei

The ancient fishponds of Kīhei form a sophisticated royal aquaculture system integrating freshwater springs, wetlands, and reef ecosystems. At least four major fishponds—and likely more—still leave visible traces along the

Climate change and global warming are indeed affecting the weather in South Maui

Climate change and global warming are indeed affecting the weather in South Maui, leading to increased rates of evaporation and higher water

Preserving Green Spaces in the South Maui Floodplain

The Importance of Preserving Green Spaces in the South Maui Floodplain Abstract The preservation and maintenance of green spaces in the South

Adapting structures for Flooding in the Kihei Floodplain

Stormwater flooding is a natural occurrence. What is unnatural is that we are still building in the gulches, wetlands, flood zones, and

Pictured: Waipuilani Gulch, Kihei, Piilani Highway Bridge.

Why gulch’s are important to Aquifer recharge

Gulches: Hidden Pathways for Hawaiʻi’s Aquifer Recharge Abstract Hawaiʻi’s unique landscape, shaped by volcanic activity, harbors a network of gulches—deep, narrow valleys

Developers are still bulldozing Kihei wetlands in 2023

The year is 2023 and developers are still bulldozing wetlands in Kihei. South Maui only has a fraction of its once-extensive Wetlands

Save Waiehu from Overdevelopment

Maui’s unique environment needs protection! Our group, Protect Waiehu Ahupua’a (PWA) was formed in July of 2022 in response to a California

José Manuel Suárez, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Water usage guidelines for Maui County

Water usage guidelines for Maui County Maui’s Water Future Needs a Plan we Can all Understand with Best Data Available. To Maui

Contaminated Drinking Water

Access to Safe Drinking Water One of the biggest issues that we humans are facing is access to a reliable source of

South Maui is suffering from a Degraded Watershed

South Maui is suffering from a Degraded Watershed South Maui’s watershed is severely degraded due to poor soil management, overgrazing on uplands

Affordable Workforce Housing rules are being used to exploit vulnerable lands

Affordable Workforce Housing rules are being used to exploit vulnerable lands Developers are able to use Affordable Housing rules and “Pro affordable

South Maui experienced flash flooding on Friday

Flash Flood in Kihei, Maui Today September 9th 2022: Kihei Roads Closed Due to Dangerous Flooding

Kula Kai before Western Contact

Kula Kai before Western Contact Before western contact, the area of Kula Kai (South Maui) had streams, wetlands, ponds, pools, and loi

Waipuilani (“Fongs”) Gulch Kihei Flooding

The Fong’s Gulch is the widest part of the makai end of Waipuilani Gulch, which is in the middle of our North Kihei neighborhoods. This is where the worst floods

Group intervenes over Welakahao project concerns

Protecting the rights of the water, and the cultural and traditional rights of the people are at the core of this issue.

Drainage Problems

What may surprise you to know is the many areas in Kihei do not have a stormwater drainage system. Kihei is built