Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 8, 1 August 2022 — Applicants Sought for O'ahu Watershed Project [ARTICLE]

Applicants Sought for O'ahu Watershed Project

Nonprofit O'ahu Resource Conservation and Development Council (O'ahu RC&D) is accepting applieations from North Shore farmers and ranchers within the Ki'iki'i and Paukauila watersheds to help implement conservation practices to improve farm resilience and watershed health. Farms selected in the first round of i • • ithe competitive appiication process were awarded over $36,000 and will co-invest more than $18,000 of their i • i own resources towards practices that improve water quality and benefit the ecology of streams, estuaries and nearshore waters. O'ahu RC&D has collaborated with the state Department of Health (DOH) and O'ahu farmers to improve water quality and restore watershed health for the past decade. The Ki'iki'i and Paukauila stream systems collect sediment and pollutants as they move through central O'ahu, draining over 37,400 acres into Kaiaka Bay. The watersheds are geographically bound in the coastal , plains of Waialua and Hale'iwa, where clay-like soils and heavy rainfall cause flooding and poor drainage. The need for flood impact mitigation and reduction in sediment load throughout these watersheds is a priority issue. Farmers play a critical role in stewarding the land through conservation planning and the implementation of conservation practices. O'ahu RC&D is accepting applieations until 4:00 p.m. on August 15. For more information or to apply go to: https://oahurcd.org/kiikii-and-pau-kauila-watershed/.