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HomeMy WebLinkAboutProject Elements 1 CREATING A COMMUNITY-BASED HILO BAY RESILIENCE AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN Summary of Project Elements Contents Plan Objectives ............................................................................................................................ 2 Nine Elements of a Watershed Management Plan ......................................................................... 3 Literature Review, Plan Synthesis, and Data Gap Analysis ............................................................. 4 Initial Vision and Watershed Goals ............................................................................................... 5 Description and Assessment of the Watershed ............................................................................. 6 Description and Assessment of Coastal Conditions ...................................................................... 7 Development and Coastal Hazards ........................................................................................... 7 Land-Based Pollution ............................................................................................................... 7 Marine Ecosytems .................................................................................................................... 8 Assessment of Local Laws and Programs ..................................................................................... 9 Watershed and Coastal Management Recommendations ........................................................... 10 Prioritize Recommended Projects and Actions, ........................................................................... 11 and Key to Map(s) ....................................................................................................................... 11 Ka Paʻakai Analysis .................................................................................................................... 12 Implementation Strategy and Schedule ...................................................................................... 14 Tracking and Monitoring ............................................................................................................. 15 Conceptual Watershed Partnership Design................................................................................. 16 Technical Studies ...................................................................................................................... 17 Water Quality Testing and Critical Source Analysis .................................................................. 17 Hydrologic Analysis of Honoliʻi Stream .................................................................................... 17 Surface Erosion Runoff Model ................................................................................................. 18 Hydraulic Modeling and Flood Hazard Maps ............................................................................ 18 2 Plan Objectives • Operate under the precautionary principle; • Address long-standing human health and water quality issues in the region; • Meet EPA’s Nine Elements of a Watershed plan; • Meet Section 319 funding eligibility criteria for implementation; • Be informed by traditional indigenous knowledge and place-based approaches; • Analyze coastal resilience strategies for the protection of marine and coastal communities (human and fish and wildlife); • Integrate indigenous traditional knowledge and coastal resilience strategy goals to propose a suite of nature-based solutions, along with standard or hybrid approaches; • Be designed to easily accommodate regular updates and amendments as needed, within its implementation and monitoring framework; • Have a short-term action and implementation period of 20 years, a mid-term period of 50 years, and a long-term horizon of 100 years; • Reflect community involvement, collaboration and ownership. 3 Nine Elements of a Watershed Management Plan • An identification of the sources that will need to be controlled to achieve load reductions established in the state’s nonproint source Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) or any other goals identified in the plan; • An estimatee of the load reductions expected from the management measures described; • A description of the nonpoint source management measures needed to achieve load reduction and identification of the critical areas in which the measures will need to be implemented to achieve the nonpoint source wate rquality goals; • An estimate of the assistance (fiancial and technical) and authorities the state anticipates having to rely on to implement the plan; • An information/education component, which the will be used to enhance public understanding of the project and encourage public involvement in the nonpoint source management measures; • A schedule fo implementing the nonpoint source management measures identified in the plan; • A schedule of interim, measurable milestones that can be used to determine whether nonpoint source management measures or other control actions are being implemented; • A set of criteria that can be used to determine whether substantial progress is begin made toward the water quality standards and, if not, criteria that will help to determine whether the nonpoint source TMDL should be revised; and • A monitoring componenet to evaluate how effective the implementation efforts are as measured against the set of criteria developed as described previously. 4 Literature Review, Plan Synthesis, and Data Gap Analysis Conduct a literature review of all known studies, plans, and reports to determine what data is available to inform the plan, and where gaps exist and can be foreseen based on temporal data goals (i.e., current data). To minimize any duplication of efforts, existing resource assessment, restoration or management plans shall be synthesized, with convergences and connections clearly illustrated among them. For example, the 2005 Hilo Bay Restoration Plan 1, plus relevant plans and studies completed subsequent to it. The literature and data review must include Native Hawaiian traditional knowledge sources such as the Kelii William Ioane Legacy Foundation’s Papakū Makawalu Report on Keaukaha Track II – ʻĀina Hoʻopulapula 2. 1 https://health.hawaii.gov/cwb/files/2013/05/PRC_Maps_HiloBayWatershed.pdf 2 https://keliiwilliamioanelegacyfoundation.com/papaku-makawalu/ 5 Initial Vision and Watershed Goals The Community Advisory Committee shall prepare an initial vision statement that expresses an idea of what the watershed will become and clearly describes what the community hopes to accomplish. The vision will set the tone of the watershed plan and will be used throughout the planning process. An initial set of watershed goals and objectives will be drafted based on community advisory committee input. 6 Description and Assessment of the Watershed • Delineate the watershed and its constituent sub watersheds determined by an analysis of topography, existing drainage infrastructure, surface hydrology, field observation and other factors as appropriate; • Identify and descibe the geographic setting and feature of the watershed, including topography geology, hydrography, floodplains, soils, areas of erosion, and precipitation; • Idenfity, describe, and map infrastructure (e.g., roads and bridges; stormwater infrastructure including outfalls, dms, and other impoundments or flow constriction structures); • Identify and describe well heads and public water supplies; • Identify and describe groundwater recharge areas contributing to aquifer replenishment, stream baseflow, and wetland hydrology; • Describe demographics, and historic, current, and projected population density; • Describe ecosystem services, historic, current, and projected; • Describe historic, current and projected land uses and land cover; • Describe zoningand current land use practices; • Identify water quality classifications for al lsegments of the waterbody; • Identify and describe impairments to water quality and living resources; • Estimate impairment loads and expeced load reductions; • Identify point sources and hot spots (i.e., NPDES Phase I and II permits, septic and underground storage tanks, lanfills and superfund sites); • Identify nonpoint sources of impairments; • Describe living resources (e.g., fish, macroinvertebrates), and overall watershed habitat; • Describe key water and habitat resources warranting special protection or restoration; • Describe a projected build-out for communities within the watershed based on current land use plans and regulation; • Estimate impervious cover for each sub watershed • Estimate runoff and pollutant loadings for each sub watershed under current conditions, and anticipated pollutant loads resulting from new or expanded uses in the watershed; • Prioritizes sub watersheds based on data analysis. 7 Description and Assessment of Coastal Conditions Address the following elements of the Hawaiʻi Ocean Resources Management Plan 3 focus areas: Development and Coastal Hazards • Inventory and analyze critical infrastructure assets along the shoreline threatened by chronic and episodic coastal hazards and future sea leve rise projections. Conduct vulnerability assessments and assess options for protection, accommodation, and retreat of public infrastructure as sea levels rise. • Identify suitable geographic scale for shoreline adaptation planning based on coastal processes. • Determine barriers to proactive shoreline adaptation and actionable policy strategies to surmount them. • Examine barriers to beach nourishment, including impacts to coastal habitats (offshore sand sources, sandy beach ecosystems), cost, and regulatory requirements (i.e., dewatering of sand). • Study the feasibility of utilizing nature-based solutions on Hawaiʻi’s high-energy shorelines to manage and mitigate erosion. • Study the impacts of sea level rise projections on cultural and archaeological resources, such as gathering sites, loko iʻa fishponds or fish traps, heiau, places of worship, shrine and kiʻi pohaku, and petroglyphs. • Incorporate a managed retreat or strategic relocation analysis to help develop criteria for this adaptation strategy as identified in Assessing the Feasibility and Implications of Management Retreat Strategies for Vulnerable Coastal Areas in Hawaiʻi. Land-Based Pollution • Define and describe the benefits of a green stormwater infrastructure. • Identify adaptations needed to implement greent stormwater infrastructure successfully in Hawaiʻi’s unique conditions (topography, climate, soils, development patterns). • Compare and contrast the efficacy, cost, and lifespan of green stormwater infrastructure, and traditional water management techniques (through suc processes as phytoremediation and filtration) compared to the gray infrastructure (engineered assets) currently utilized in Hawaiʻi. • Evaluate the use of green stormwater infrastructure along the Hilo Bay shoreline and throughout the coastal zone, with the dual benefit of controlling erosion and other shoreline processes while mitigating the impacts of land-based pollution and inland flooding. 3 https://planning.hawaii.gov/czm/ormp/ 8 • Use NOAA’s Coasta lChange Analysis Program (C-CAP) sea-level rise and land cover data in conducting stormwater assessments and modeling. Marine Ecosytems • Identify management gaps that inform existing efforts to prevent further damage to fragile nearshore ecosystems. • Identify management gaps that will suport expansion of efforts to restore and enhance coral reef priority areas. • Supplement DLNR-DAR education and outreach efforts to build a greater public awareness for responsible behavior affecting aquatic reaources such as nearsore fisheries and coral reefs, including the impact of aquatic alien species on native ecosystems. • Identify management gaps to develop capacity to address aquatic alien species introduction and spread into and within Hawaiʻi from sources associated with vessels. 9 Assessment of Local Laws and Programs Identify and assess the ability and effectiveness of local laws and programs to implement best management practices to protect surface and groundwater quality and habitat from point and nonpoint source pollution, including those related to new and existing development, roads and bridges, onsite wastewater treatment systems, marinas, forestry and agriculture, habitat, and hydrologic modifcation (such as channelization of streams), and riparian area management. The assessment of the ability of local laws and programs to implement best management practices shall be conducted in an interactive manner and include the following: 1. A description of county, state, and federal agencies as they affect nonpoint source pollution, includingstormwater management, habitat protection, and restoration in the watershed. 2. A description and comprehensive assessment of the ability of local land use plans, regulations (including zoning, site plan review, subdivision regulations, stormwater management, and wetlands, watercourse and flooding regulation), to implement best management practices to control point and nonpoint source pollution and protect habitat, including an anlysis of their strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the implementation of management practices. 10 Watershed and Coastal Management Recommendations • Identify management strategies and recommendations to protect and restore the resources of Hilo Bay and its watershed. • All recommedations must be evaluated using the Ka Paʻakai analysis. • Regulatory and Programmatic actions may include: o Land use management, such as: comprehensive plans, zoning, site plan review, erosion and sediment control. o Improved stormwater management practices, including low impact development and green infrastructure, and recommendations for each of the sub watersheds, if appropriate. o Onsite wastewater treatment systems maintenance and management. o Wetlands and watercourse protection (including buffer area establishment). o Groundwater and aquifer protection, floodplain management. o Open space protection acquisition, banking, land conservation and protrection and forest management, including urban forestry. o Training, education, and stewardship programs. o Identification of related monitoring and research gaps, and appropriate program needs (i.e., water quality monitoring program) to advance watershed management goals and strategies. • Restoration and Protection Projects may include: o Watershed-wide and site-specific actions to restore and protect water quality and living resources/habitats. o Stormwater remediation measures to reduce pollutant loadings in each sub watershed (e.g., wetland creation, vegetative treatment systems, retrofitting, reduction of impervious surfaces). o Identifying potential sites for fish and wildlife habitat restoration including areas within streams, stream corridors, freshwater and tidal wetlands, and ponds, for potential improvement to ecological integrity (e.g., habitat structure, dynamics, connectivity, and quality). o Structural activities such as stream restoration or stormwater treatment retrofits. o Establishing education programs to build awareness and stewardship. 11 Prioritize Recommended Projects and Actions, and Key to Map(s) • Develop a prioritized list of recommendations, with supporting justification, linked to maps. • Include photographs showing project locations and conditions. • The prioritization process includes: o Evaluating sub watersheds according to impairments and/or threats to water quality and habitat. o Identifying priorities within sub watersheds for focused nonpoint source pollution management actions. o Ranking projects and actions within each sub watershed according to anticipated reduction in nonpoint source pollution management action. o Ranking projects and actions within each sub watershed according to anticipated protection of unimpaired resources. • Potential ranking factors include: o Watershed goals, sub watershed priority and vulnerability. o Pollutant reduction/protection afforded, water resources and/or habitat value. o Cost, permitting, and maintenance. o Landowner cooperation, public access and visibility. o Partner involvement and innovation. 12 Ka Paʻakai Analysis Ka Pa'akai Analysis is a legally-required analysis and a process used in Hawaiian cultural resource management to evaluate the impact of actions, developments, or projects on traditional Hawaiian practices, particularly those tied to the use of natural resources. The term "Ka Pa'akai" refers to salt, which holds cultural significance in Hawaiian culture as a symbol of the connection between land, water, and people. The analysis itself is designed to evaluate how projects or actions might affect the cultural and spiritual connections that Native Hawaiians have to the land and marine environments, particularly in relation to sustainable practices, cultural practices, and resources like fishing, gathering, and farming. A Ka Pa'akai analysis generally involves several key steps: 1. Cultural Resource Assessment: Examining the natural resources that are culturally significant, such as coastal and marine ecosystems, agricultural lands, and sacred sites. 2. Impact Evaluation: Analyzing how the proposed activity or project could affect the continued use and access to these cultural resources. 3. Engagement with Native Hawaiian Knowledge Holders: Consulting with cultural practitioners, community members, and stakeholders to ensure that indigenous knowledge is integrated into the planning and assessment process. 4. Recommendations for Mitigation: Providing recommendations for minimizing any negative impacts on cultural resources and practices, ensuring that traditional rights and practices are respected and preserved. The Lynker Team intends to work with the County and the Community Advisory Committee to identify the most appropriate person(s) to lead the Ka Pa'akai Analysis and onboard them. General Ka Pa'akai Analysis steps and phases: 1. Identify and assess the cultural resources within the project area. This involves determining the natural resources that are important to the local Native Hawaiian community—such as fishponds, wetlands, sacred sites, traditional gathering areas, or shoreline zones that are vital for cultural practices. These resources are not just viewed from an environmental perspective but from a cultural lens as well, recognizing the spiritual, social, and economic connections that Native Hawaiians have to them. 2. Assess the potential impacts of the proposed project or action on those resources. This is where the analysis looks at both direct and indirect impacts that may affect access, availability, or sustainability of cultural practices. Direct impacts might include physical destruction or alteration of cultural sites (e.g., construction in sacred areas, disruption offishponds). Indirect impacts could involve changes to water quality, habitat loss, or disruption to traditional access routes, which could 13 affect fishing or gathering practices. For example, if a proposed development might result in increased runoff or pollutants entering a coastal area, this could affect the availability of resources like fish or seaweed, which are central to cultural practices. 3. A critical aspect of Ka Pa'akai Analysis is consulting with Native Hawaiian knowledge holders,practitioners, and the broader community. This engagement ensures that cultural knowledge is integrated into the process, and that local perspectives and concerns are taken seriously. These conversations help gather insights on how Indigenous Traditional Knowledge can contribute to project design and decision-making, as well as ways to mitigate potential harms. We intend to host meetings with Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, elders, and community members who have direct experience with the resources in question. 4. The analysis will conclude with recommendations for mitigation to ensure that the cultural resources are not harmed by the project. The goal is to come up with solutions that allow for both the sustainable use of resources and the protection of cultural practices. The Ka Pa'akai Analysis will be developed complementary with public outreach activities and will be applied to all plan recommendations. The Ka Pa'akai Analysis doesn't end with the project's implementation but is part of an ongoing cultural and ecological management strategy. 14 Implementation Strategy and Schedule Prepare a strategy and schedule ot implement the identified watershed management practices and approaches, including te specific projets and other actions that were identifed through analysis and public participation. The Implementation Strategy will include a matrix of prioritized projects and other actins for advancing the implementation of the goals and objectives of thewatershed plan, including steps needed to implement the specific projects (e.g., feasibility, design, permitting, construction), timeframes for implementation; short term (e.g., immediate to one year), medium term (e.g., greater than one year, up to five years), or long-term (e.g., greater than five years); cost estimtes, potential funding sources, regulatory approvals needed, and likely porject sponsor (agency or organization lead) and project partners. The implementation strategy will: • Clearly articulate priorities, measurable objectives and steps to implemet the identified protection and restoration strategies. • Clearly outline an ongoing public information and education component that aims to enhance public understanding of the recommended project(s) included in the plan, the activities that iwll be used to implement the plan, and how the results from implementaiton of the plan will be shared. • Include cost estimates, potential funding sources, and a phasing schedule noting lead/involved organizations for each action. • Include a schedule for periodically updating the plan. • Articulate the ongoing role of a Watershed Advisory Committee. 15 Tracking and Monitoring Prepare a plan that includes strategies for tracking implementation of projects and oter actions, and monitoring water and related resources to measure success in achieving project goals and objectves. • The tracking and monitoring plan shall identify methods to track implementation of projects and other actions and gather baseline data on waterhshed conditions toward assessing the effectiveness of implementation over time. • The plan may include identification of potential partners to conduct monitoring activities, potential funding sources, and methods of data management. 16 Conceptual Watershed Partnership Design Contractor will develop a comprehensive conceptual design that can be used to support establishing a future Hilo Bay Watershed Partnership. This effort will include an evaluation of key stakeholders and potential partners. Watershed Partnerships rely on strong collaboration between landowners, government agencies, community groups, researchers, and Indigenous practitioners. Identifying and engaging stakeholders early on will help build trust and ensure that the partnership reflects diverse perspectives and priorities. Special attention will be given to integrating Native Hawaiian knowledge and practices, recognizing the cultural and ecological significance of the watershed to local communities. Another crucial component is the examination of existing Watershed Partnerships throughout Hawaiʻi to understand how they were created and how they operate. Learning from existing partnerships across the state can provide valuable insights into best practices for stakeholder engagement and collaboration. This includes reviewing their governance models, funding mechanisms, conservation strategies, and community engagement efforts. Conducting interviews with key representatives from these partnerships will offer first-hand insights into lessons learned, challenges faced, and strategies for long-term success. By studying these models, the Hilo partnership can adopt proven approaches while tailoring them to the unique ecological, cultural, and social context of the region. One or more partnership governance/operational structures for the partnership will be presented. This will include defining roles and responsibilities, decision-making processes, and mechanisms for conflict resolution among stakeholders. A clear framework for communication, data-sharing, and adaptive management will also help ensure transparency and accountability. By incorporating a flexible yet structured governance model—one informed by successful partnerships elsewhere—a Hilo Bay Watershed Partnership can effectively respond to emerging challenges while maintaining a shared commitment to watershed health and sustainability. 17 Technical Studies As recommended by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in its 2023 Planning Assistance to States Report 4, the following studies are needed to develop a fully-informed actional plan for addressing water quality: Water Quality Testing and Critical Source Analysis The 2023 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ report recommended additional water quality testing activities to inform a Watershed Management Plan. The existing available NFWF funding and the size of the watershed itself present challenges to a comprehensive water quality study. • At a minimum, the water quality sampling shall meet the State Department of Health Clean Water Branch’s data requirements 5 and seek to (1) confirm the impairment status of streams in the Hilo Bay watershed that were added to the 303(d) impaired waters list based on visual assesment; and (2) confirm the findings of older data. • Conduct a Critical Source Analysis following the Environmental Protection Agency’s published guidance 6. This analysis will include the following acitivities: o Analyze existing data (historical data, land use maps, drainage studies and related reports); o Conduct field investigatons (visual inspections, topography analysis); o Use advanced techniques if available and practicable (e.g., isotropic tracers, biological indiactors) based on identified needs; o Integrate findings with water qualitydata to poinpoint likely sources of pollutants. Hydrologic Analysis of Honoliʻi Stream This study include evaluating the hydrologic conditions of the Honolii Watershed to develop flow frequency hydrographs and peak flow estimates fo Honolii Stram for the 10%, 4%, 2%, 1%, and 0.2% annual exceedance probability (10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year) flood events. 4 https://www.poh.usace.army.mil/Portals/10/docs/Civil%20Works/Planning%20Assistance%20to%20the%2 0States/Hilo%20Bay%20PAS/2023%20Final%20Hilo%20Bay%20Watershed%20Planning%20Assistance%2 0to%20States%20Report.pdf?ver=OveJSD8pYdwqGhWWN6WSqw%3D%3D 5 https://health.hawaii.gov/cwb/files/2025/07/Data-Acceptance-Criteria-revised-070825-final.pdf 6 https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2018- 08/documents/critical_source_area_identification_and_bmp_selection_final_5-11-18cover.pdf 18 Surface Erosion Runoff Model This study involves estimating the sediment yeild rate for each subbasin giving an indication of the most erodible regions in the watershed. Eroded watershed sediment makes its way into the stream corridor and is transported downstream, where it is eventually deposited in Hilo Bay. These sedicment particles often carry pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals as well as organic matter. Sediment increases turbidity in the water column, chemicals adversely affect water quality, and organic matter lowers dissolved oxygen for aquatic species, making wate uninhabitable. Surface runoff and erosion model studies will identify areas subject to erosion, serving as an important first step in developing methods to reduce Hilo Bay sediment loading. Hydraulic Modeling and Flood Hazard Maps Flooding events in the Hilo Bay watershed contribute to soil eroson and transport from terrestrial areas into Hilo Bay. Flood Hazard mapping conducted by this study will aid the identification of flood prone areas to be prioritzed for focus areas. If watershed flood-prone areas are not identified, there is a risk of missing areas that are susceptible to the erosion that contirbutes to pollution in Hilo Bay. The scope of work for this study inlcudes the following: 1. Develop a hydraulic model of Honoliʻi Stream, Wailuku River, and Alenaio Stream. The hydraulic model will compute the water surfact profiles, flood elevations, and floodplain boundary for the 10%, 4%, 2%, 1% and 0.2% annual exceedance probability (10-, 25-, 50-, 100- and 500-year) flood events. 2. Develop new flood hazard maps for Honoliʻi Stram, Wailuku River, alenaio Stream, and Wailoa River that illustrate the areal extent and depth distribution of existing flood conditions in the Hilo communtiy for the 10%, 4%, 2%, 1% and 0.2% annual exceedance probability (10-, 25-, 50-, 100- and 500-year) flood events.