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Māʻalaea Bay Watersheds
Management Plan

The Māʻalaea Bay Watersheds Management Plan bridges the gap between two existing, EPA-approved watershed plans - The Pōhākea Watershed Plan to the west and The Southwest Maui Watershed Plan to the southeast. Composed of Waikapū and Waiakoa Watersheds, the land area totals 45,724 acres and spans from elevations of approximately 4,400 feet in Mauna Kahālāwai to the summit of Haleakalā at 10,023 feet. Both watersheds converge in the isthmus of Maui and discharge into Keālia Pond and the coastal waters of Māʻalaea Bay. Upon completion of this Plan, all aquatic resources flowing from the southeast peaks of Mauna Kahālāwai and the southwest peaks of Haleakalā to the shorelines stretching from Makena Beach to beyond McGregor’s Point will be included in a watershed plan.

The goal of this watershed management plan is to address land-based souces of pollution entering into Maʻalaea Bay, and to provide opportunities for stakehoders and community members to combat pollution. Once approved, projects proposed in the Plan will be eligible for federal 319 funding. 

View the Plan by clicking the link below.

 Community
Concerns

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Proposed Projects

Axis Deer Fencing and Management

As deer populations continue to grow on Maui, landscapes continue to be denuded of vegetative cover. The unarmored soils that become exposed are highly susceptible to erosion during storm events.

Additional fencing is needed to create axis deer management units. By creating these management areas, the community can control the migration of axis deer throughout the watershed. While it is believed that axis deer do not typically roam very far, during drought, wildfire, or other pressures such as removal, fencing enables proper management of this invasive species.

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