Restore the Flow and Save Heʻeia Stream
By Alex Choi, Student Volunteer | Reading time: 4 minutes
Imagine if your neighborhood stream that once served as the lifeblood of farms, loko iʻa (fishponds), and forests of the area slowed to a trickle during a long summer drought. Imagine the devastating impact the loss of water would have on the native species, loʻi kalo (taro patches), and the people who rely on the water. Now imagine that just one valley over, millions of gallons of pristine drinkable water that could be used to meet residents’ needs and keep water in your stream is instead being sprayed across a military golf course. This is the current reality in Heʻeia, a community in Windward Oʻahu where restoration efforts are being undermined by outdated priorities and wasteful water use.
In Windward Oʻahu, the local community has been seeking to return freshwater to Heʻeia stream, and restore and protect the native ecosystems, loʻi kalo, and loko iʻa, that depend upon it. However, the groundwater that feeds Heʻeia stream is also used by area households, greatly reducing the amount of water available for stream flow. The pure, drinkable water from the Waiheʻe shaft one valley over could be used to instead meet residents’ household needs, and return water to Heʻeia stream. However, the US Marine Corps Base at Kāneʻohe (MCBH), has continued to use vast amounts of potable water from Waiheʻe to keep its golf course green.
In other words, the water used for the Marines’ golf course directly affects the availability of water for the restoration of Heʻeia.
In recent years, efforts to restore the ecological and cultural integrity of the Heʻeia ahupuaʻa have blossomed, as thousands of community members have come together to restore native ecosystems, loʻi kalo, and loko iʻa that are key to ecological resilience, cultural integrity, and local food security. For many, this means restoring streamflow to Heʻeia Stream, which would revitalize native ecosystems and support traditional Hawaiian farming and aquaculture in Heʻeia and the nearshore waters of Kāneʻohe Bay.
Yet despite all these restoration efforts, streamflow remains a rising concern. Since the 1940s, Heʻeia stream’s natural flow has been reduced by nearly half due to water diversions through the Haʻikū Tunnel system. Originally built to support sugar plantations, this system now supplies municipal water to growing urban communities. The tunnel taps into dike-impounded groundwater, which is the primary source feeding Heʻeia Stream. By diverting 1.7 to 1.9 million gallons per day, the system drastically reduces streamflow, which has impacted and continues to impact the health of native ecosystems, loʻi kalo, and loko iʻa.
In response, the State Commission on Water Resource Management has proposed modifying the Interim Instream Flow Standard (IIFS) to restore 1.77 million gallons of water per day to Heʻeia stream. If successful, the potential benefits that follow would be profound. Native fish such as ʻoʻopu and ʻamaʻama could thrive, endangered waterbirds and Hawaiian damselflies could recover, and loʻi kalo and loko iʻa could once again flourish. But while the benefits are clear, challenges remain—especially when it comes to balancing competing water demands and identifying sustainable alternative sources.
Just one valley over in Waiheʻe, the Marine Corps Base in Kāneʻohe takes approximately 11 million gallons of potable water each month to irrigate its golf course. This water could be used to meet municipal drinking water needs, freeing up water that could then be returned to Heʻeia Stream. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps’ discharges over 2.5 million gallons of treated wastewater into the ocean, even though it could be reused for golf course irrigation and other non-potable needs. In 2022, the Hawaiʻi Legislature passed a resolution urging the Marines to recycle its wastewater, to reduce its reliance on potable water and protect the ocean environment from the impacts of wastewater discharge. In 2023, the Marines appeared to agree.
However, implementation of the water recycling proposal has been repeatedly delayed. While the Department of Health (DOH) rightly requires safeguards, such as a chlorine contact tank to neutralize pathogens and buffer zones to prevent aerosol drift into nearby homes, these are standard, reasonable measures aligned with state and federal guidelines for safe water reuse. The real obstacle appears not to be regulations, but a lack of urgency and follow-through from the Department of Defense.
As temperatures rise and droughts intensify, Windward Oʻahu’s ecosystems grow more vulnerable each year. The need for urgency is clear. If MCBH acts swiftly to use recycled wastewater, it could help rebalance water distribution across Windward Oʻahu’s watersheds and allow cultural and ecological restoration efforts to thrive. However, if things continue as they are and no progress is made on MCBH’s R-1 recycled wastewater plan, there may soon be nothing left to save.
MCBH says it wants to be a good neighbor and steward of the land, but actions speak louder than words. After years of promises, the time has come to move from planning and waiting to implementation and action. Contact MCBH and your elected officials and let them know: our water, watersheds, food security, and cultural integrity must no longer be degraded to keep the Marine Corps’ golf course green. Let's bring about change before it's too late.