Rain Gardens

Rain gardens are flat-bottomed depressions in the ground which are used to capture excess water and pollutants, such as storm runoff from rooftops, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and streets, from reaching streams and oceans.

HOK is developing the State of Hawaii Rain Garden Manual, due for publication in early 2012, and a Rain Garden Co-op which will help facilitate the installation of rain gardens on private property with the use of volunteers and homeowners. 

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Kaha Garden

Kaha Garden was developed in 2007 as a living example of how homeowners can use native and indigenous landscaping to improve water quality.
Visitors can walk the garden pathways to see how plants might appear in their own backyard. Interpretative signs and the development of a website about Kaha Garden, designed by local elementary school students, further explain the benefits of native landscaping and other best management practices.

The project is located within the City and County of Honolulu's Kawainui Neighborhood Park at 750 Kaha St. in Kailua and is maintained solely by volunteers. Visit the Get Involved page for a list of upcoming workdays.

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Urban Sub-basin Action Plan

The urban areas of Ko'olaupoko have sub-watersheds which are covered with impervious surfaces ranging from one percent (1%) to nearly sixty-percent (60%).  Research suggest as impervious surfaces increases, associated water quality problems also increase and water bodies have less ability to support aquatic functions.

The Urban Sub-basin Action Plan (USBAP) will provide a course of action for Hui o Ko'olaupoko (HOK) over the next several years to address storm water and non-point source pollution and prioritize opportunities for Low-Impact Retrofits (LIR) implementation in the Ko'olaupoko moku. 

Please click here to download the Urban Sub-Basin ActionPlan. (9.34MB PDF format)

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Ka'elepulu Stream Storm Water Retrofit

and Water Quality Monitoring

This project will improve 24,000 sq. ft. of an existing parking lot owned by City and County of Honolulu Parks Department adjacent to Ka'elepulu Stream in Kailua to improve the quality of storm water runoff. Pervious concrete will be installed in the parking stalls to initially capture storm water runoff. Additionally, the project will improve of 361 feet of riparian habitat through the installation of a vegetated bio-swale to capture storm water and allow for infiltration back into the ground before it enters Ka'elepulu Stream.

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Watershed Restoration Action Strategy

Watershed Restoration Action Strategy (WRAS) serves as the master plan for Hui o Ko`olaupoko and provides direction for other organizations on the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs), restoration, monitoring, education and outreach in the Ko’olaupoko area of windward O’ahu, Hawai‘i.

Please click here to download the Watershed Restoration Action Strategy. (7MB PDF format)

Watershed Restoration Action Strategy

He'eia Stream Riparian Restoration

Ka'elepulu Stream Storm Water Retrofit and Water Quality Monitoring

Kaha Garden

Rain Gardens

Urban Sub-basin Action Plan

Volunteer Opportunities

2011 Kualoa & He'eia Snapshot Water Quality Data Report

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