West Maui Sediment Stabilization Roundtable
A roundtable convened in the spring of 2016 to elicit local expert and cultural opinions on effective restoration strategies for West Maui watersheds.
The roundtable included a number of West Maui and national organizations including the West Maui Watershed Coordinator – Tova Callender, Duane Sparkman and Ekolu Lindsey from Maui Cultural Lands, Chris Brosius from the Maui Mountain Watershed Partnership, Wesley Crile from Coral Reef Alliance, John Astilla from Sunshine Vetiver Solutions, Paul Sturm and Angel Figueroa from Ridge to Reefs and Renee Ganske-Cerizo from Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
A series of 4 restoration projects were identified for initial implementation from the roundtable and associated fieldwork. The four projects were implemented recently with the assistance of a number of partner organizations including Coral Reef Alliance, West Maui Kumuwai, Hawai’i DLNR, and Maui County Parks and Recreation and the help of local community volunteers and students from local high schools.
Maui Preparatory Academy
Project volunteers preparing the soil for vetiver transplanting. Vetiver is a natural and effective method of erosion control.
This improves the stability of the soils and saves the downstream coral reefs from being choked by sediment.
Community Volunteers
Field meeting preparing to create sediment traps. The traps include three lines of planted vetiver, a rainwater catchment and irrigation system, and soil amendments with biochar.
This project treats a large drainage area of heavily compacted soils, restoring the area and supporting the health of the coral reef downstream.