Commission staff outline adaptive management plan for Keauhou groundwater

Commission staff presented a proposal on April 1 to create an adaptive management plan (AMP) for the Keauhou Aquifer sector on Hawaii Island aimed at protecting groundwater, groundwater-dependent ecosystems and traditional and customary practices while allowing for monitored development.

The briefing, given during the Commission on Water Resource Management meeting, described the AMP as an iterative program of monitoring, trigger-based actions and revisions. Staff said the initial funding for the project is roughly $149,000 in federal money that must be spent by Sept. 30; staff said they will seek additional funds or use operating funds if necessary.

Staff framed the AMP as a response to limitations in current tools. The commission’s standard planning instrument, the Water Resource Protection Plan, relies on sustainable-yield calculations — currently set at 38,000,000 gallons per day for Keauhou — that staff described as using simplifying…