Restoration of Waihe`e River and Waiehu Stream. Upper diversion on Waihe`e River with the entire flow of the river being diverted. (August 9, 2010)

Water in Hawai`i is a public trust resource, protected under the State constitution and Water Code. Plantations diverted many Hawaiian streams to water sugar cane and pineapple fields, drying out and destroying the native life and Hawaiian communities connected with those streams. Now that plantations are in decline, the water can be restored to the native stream it was taken from.

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• Feature: Restore Stream Flow
• Blog Post: Maui Streams Flow Again

Waihe`e River makai ('seaward') of the first release. Note the rocks in the foreground: you can see how the water level rose by comparing the darker 'limu line' to the lighter color of the portions of rock that were above the water before the restoration (and some are now completely submerged). In the background, a Water Commission staffer is measuring the restored stream flow and recorded 7.85 mgd. (August 9, 2010)

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• Feature: Restore Stream Flow
• Blog Post: Maui Streams Flow Again

Release of water from the upper gate, flowing back into Waihe`e River. (August 9, 2010)

Government agencies, including the Water Commission, have a duty to protect and restore ecological uses, traditional and customary Hawaiian practices, recreation, and scenic values. Hui o Na Wai `Eha and Maui Tomorrow, represented by Earthjustice, are working before the state Water Commission and in the courts to uphold the public trust, stop wasteful water diversions, and restore the Waihe`e, North & South Waiehu, `Iao, and Waikapu Streams, traditionally known as "Na Wai `Eha" or "The Four Great Waters" of Maui.

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• Graphic: Map of the Four Great Waters
• Feature: Background on Na Wai `Eha

Restored pool in Waihe`e Stream, makai ('seaward') of the first release. (August 9, 2010)

Na Wai `Eha streamflow helps recharge the ground water supply that sustains more than half of Maui's residents and visitors. Native stream animals, wetlands, estuaries, and nearshore fisheries need a continuous supply of fresh water in order to remain healthy and functional.

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• Fact Sheet: Na Wai `Eha - Fiction v. Fact

Lower release of water on Waihe`e Stream, makai ('seaward') of Spreckels Ditch. (August 9, 2010)

The legal battle over Na Wai `Eha streamflow dates back to 2004, when Maui community groups Hui o Na Wai `Eha and Maui Tomorrow Foundation, represented by Earthjustice, petitioned the Hawai`i Commission on Water Resource Management to restore the streams.

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• Case: Central Maui Stream Restoration
• Case: Na Wai Eha Treatment Plant Environmental Impact Statement

Water flowing back into Waihe`e stream makai ('seaward') of the second release point. (August 9, 2010)

A lengthy trial followed through 2007 and 2008, and in April 2009, the Commission's Hearings Officer issued a proposed decision to restore about half of the diverted flows to Na Wai `Eha—a total of 34.5 million gallons a day.

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• Press Release: State Recommends Restoration of Diverted Maui Streams

Restored stream flowing into Kaehu Bay on the shores of Waiehu. (August 10, 2010)

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• Feature: Restore Stream Flow
• Blog Post: Maui Streams Flow Again

Hui o Na Wai `Eha President John Duey, observing Waiehu stream flow into the ocean for the first time in six years. (August 10, 2010)

Restoring streamflow means restoring vitality to Na Wai `Eha and the Native Hawaiian and local communities that depend on The Four Great Waters that nourished Maui long before the sugar industry disrupted their ecological and cultural functions. As we say in Hawai`i, "No be lolo [foolish]: Restore streamflow!"

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• Feature: Restore Stream Flow
• Blog Post: Maui Streams Flow Again

Schoolchildren learning the significance of kalo in the Native Hawaiian culture at the Pellegrino family's Noho`ana Farm. The Pellegrinos can plant only two of the twelve ancient kalo patches on their land due to the diversions on Waikapu Stream.

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• Feature: Background on Na Wai `Eha