Our goal is to provide a portal into all this informati
There are many water related activities going on all over Maui and it can be hard to keep track of all the issues, meetings, status, and all the various documents that are important to these issues.
06/04/2026
Participants at all October East Maui Water Authority workshops emphasized the critical need for increased, accurate, and continuous monitoring of rainfall and stream flows across East Maui’s watersheds. Community-based stream monitoring is cost-effective, builds generational knowledge, supports workforce development, and strengthens local leadership. For more info on the Series 2 workshops, go to: https://wikiwai.org/emwa-october-2025-recap/
06/02/2026
East Maui Water Authority October 2025 Recap continued:
The top priority for participants at the worksop in Keʻanae was to create an operations hub (baseyard) for ecosystem stewardship and maintenance.
The purpose of the baseyard would be to serve as a central facility for watershed health, water system maintenance, tool and equipment storage and lending, and collaborative ecosystem stewardship.
It would also include a “Personnel Loan Program” to provide labor and expertise to support ʻauwai projects affecting multiple properties and nearshore environments.
05/30/2026
The top collective priority at all three East Maui Water Authority workshops was: County Acquisition of the East Maui Water System
Participants in Ke'anae, Haʻikū, and Wailuku shared a commitment to community ownership and stewardship of the water system—locally led, transparent, culturally grounded, and ecologically sustainable.
What was heard:
• Management should reflect traditional values, community participation, and accountability to the land and its people.
• Local control rooted in cultural practice and sustainability.
• Corporate ownership was broadly opposed.
05/27/2026
Last October, Maui community members and water resource experts came together In Ke'anae, Haʻikū, and Wailuku to help shape a sustainable, equitable, and community-led future for East Maui’s watershed.
Building on community priorities identified in June, participants identified and provided detail for specific projects to support stewardship of the land and waters of the region. The Public Finance Initiative (PFI) helped convene the sessions, sharing insights on funding opportunities and strategies to support residents, community leaders, and officials in co-creating a community-led investment plan for the East Maui watershed.
Dr. Jonathan Scheuer shares his research on who “owns” the East Maui Irrigation system at the April 24 2026 BLNR meeting.
To view the PowerPoint and other community resources (like recaps of EMWA’s October workshops), visit www.wikiwai.org/emwa-october-2025-recap
*Please note video captions are autogenerated. Our team tried to fix as many typos as possible.
Last year, Gina Young flew to Oahu to testify at BLNR - just 2 days after being sworn in as the first Director of the East Maui Water Authority - to oppose the proposal to put water license negotiations into a contested case hearing.
She called it inflexible and noted that it will put the county at a disadvantage in these negotiations.
The 2024 Board expressed their support for her to do her job as Director and encouraged Gina to “run with the ball as quarterback”.
Friday, November 14, 2025 - BLNR will consider a similar proposal to put these negotiations into a contested case hearing. More information is available and .x
James Infantino is the National Pension Officer of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the 240,000-member union whose pension funds are managed by PSP Investments — and whose members are impacted financially by PSP’s investments in Mahi Pono. At the September 2024 East Water Authority meeting, Mr. Infantino had one message for Water Authority members and the community:
“Don’t let PSP investments anywhere near this long term lease.”
He provided this testimony because PSAC has publicly committed to ethical investment, and its members believe that “pension funds should not be used for the exploitation of marginalized and vulnerable people, and must be stopped from investing in initiatives that undermine public wellbeing.”
Mahealani Wendt, calls for the community to testify at BLNR on Friday November 14th to reject corporate control of our wai.
BLNR Meeting Information and Full Agenda athttps://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Agenda-251114.pdf
This video was recorded at the East Maui Water Authority Project Prioritization Workshop in Ke’anae on October 28th 2025.
Ke’anae Kalo Farmers, Junior and Bush, describe their experience and the impacts of stream diversions and dewatering.
Save the date: BLNR will discuss East Maui water license/leases at their November 14th meeting.
11/06/2025
The workshops by EMWA and its community board, ʻAha Wai O Maui Hikina, were held in partnership with the nonprofit Public Finance Initiative in Keʻanae, Wailuku and Haʻikū on Oct. 28 and 29, 2025.
EMWA Director Gina Young thanked residents for participating in East Maui water meetings during this pivotal time.
“East Maui stands at a crossroads amid a historic drought, climate risks and competing needs for water,” Director Young said. “This moment calls not only for investment in infrastructure and watershed restoration, but also for innovative financing approaches that empower Maui County and community-led resource management — rooted in fairness and equity — to ensure long-term water access, sustainability and community well-being.”
Last week’s meetings featured breakout sessions where participants identified priorities to help shape the future direction of EMWA. Ideas were summarized, placed in groups and ranked by participants on significance. Input will guide community-driven projects that EMWA can advance, target for funding to implement and incorporate into its strategic planning.
A presentation on input from the three meetings will be provided at the ʻAha Wai O Maui Hikina board meeting at 9 a.m. Dec. 5, 2025, in the Kalana Pakui Building, 200 S. High St., Wailuku.
Contact EMWA at [email protected] or visit https://www.mauicounty.gov/EMWA.
