East Maui’s watershed

The East Maui Watershed includes 100,000 acres of land and is made up of many smaller watersheds.  This watershed produces an average of 60 billion gallons per year for Maui’s agricultural industry, residents and farmers.  That’s a lot of water!  In fact, it is the largest single source of surface water in the state of Hawai'i. 

The East Maui Watershed is also home to an incredible menagerie of rare and endangered plants, birds, and bugs. Hawai'i is the endangered species capital of the world. Protecting the watershed also saves the habitat in which these special creatures live.

From cloud to forest and into your cup

How does all this water get to people?  East Maui’s watershed provides water for upcountry Maui (Kula, Pukalani, Makawao, Haiku).  The water is collected and distributed by East Maui Irrigation's (EMI) system. It includes 7 reservoirs that can store 274 million gallons and 74 miles of ditches, tunnels and numerous pipes and flumes, transporting 450 million gallons of water per day.

EMWP's sole purpose is to ensure that the East Maui Watershed remains a viable resource for this and future generations. We do not seek to resolve issues about water rights, Hawaiian sovereignty, or recreational access. We are not related to any future plans to develop new water resources in East Maui.

click map for detailed view

The East Maui Watershed includes 20% of the island of Maui. It is the largest single source of surface water in the state of Hawai'i.

What's so special about East Maui's Watershed? Why should we protect it?

Visit the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project to learn more about endangered forest birds

for more information, email us at info@eastmauiwatershed.org