Commission on Water Resource Management

Publications

Published Commission Reports

These reports are published or contracted by Commission staff on a range of topics related to the study and assessment of Hawaii’s water resources.

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Year	Reports
2024	Macrofauna Survey Results for Mohihi, Waiakoali, Kauaikinanā, and Kōke‘e Streams at 3,400ft in Waimea, Kaua‘i
2022	Low-Flow Characteristics and Surface Water Availability in East Maui, Hawai‘i [17.9 MB]
2017	Kahana Stream Restoration Project: Ahupu‘a ‘O Kahana State Park, Kahana, O‘ahu
2013	Water Management Software to Estimate Crop Irrigation Requirements for Consumptive Use Permitting In Hawaii, Final Report [3.6 MB]
2008	Report of Molokai Water Working Group [470 KB]
2007	RAM2 Modeling and the Determination of Sustainable Yields of Hawaii Basal Aquifers [8.2 MB]
2005	Surface-Water Hydrologic Units: A Management Tool for Instream Flow Standards [4.6 MB] 2004 Hawaii Water Use Survey and Report [15.8 MB]
2003	A Study of the Ground Water Conditions in North and South Kona and South Kohala Districts, Island of Hawaii, 1991-2002 [2.3 MB] Drought Risk and Vulnerability Assessment and GIS Mapping Project [29.3 MB]
1996	Reevaluation of the Ground-Water Resources and Sustainable Yield of the Ewa Caprock Aquifer [1.4 MB] A Numerical Ground-Water Model for the Island of Lanai, Hawaii [6.6 MB]
1990	Report R84: Hawaii Stream Assessment, A Preliminary Appraisal of Hawaii’s Stream Resources [14.1 MB]

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Commission Fact Sheets

Year	Fact Sheets
2024	FS-2024-01: Summary of Surface Water Monitoring in Waikoloa
2021	FS-2020-01: West Maui Surface Water Monitoring FS-2020-02: Surface Water Monitoring – Nā Wai ‘Ehā FS-2020-03: Surface Water Monitoring – Waimea Watershed Agreement FS-2020-04: Surface Water Monitoring – Wai‘anae Region

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Publications

The Commission, along with various agencies, regularly partner with and cooperatively fund hydrologic and biological studies conducted by the USGS. The publications below were cooperatively funded by the USGS and the Commission. To view additional USGS reports, visit the USGS Pacific Islands Water Science Center Publications page. ➽

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Year	Reports
2024	Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5130. ➽ Estimated groundwater recharge for mid-century and end-of-century climate projections, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Maui, and the Island of Hawai‘i.
2023	Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5022. ➽ Identifying the relative importance of water-budget information needed to quantify how land-cover change affects recharge, Hawaiian Islands.
2021	Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5115. ➽ Water-resource management monitoring needs, State of Hawai‘i.
2020	Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5128. ➽ Low-Flow Characteristics of Streams from Wailua to Hanapēpē, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i. Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5115. ➽ Water-Resource Management Monitoring Needs, State of Hawai‘i.
2016	Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5103. ➽ Low-flow characteristics for streams on the Islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi, State of Hawaiʻi.
2015	Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5010. ➽ Spatially Distributed Groundwater Recharge for 2010 Land Cover Estimated Using a Water-Budget Model for the Island of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i (Version 2.0).
2014	Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5168. ➽ Spatially Distributed Groundwater Recharge Estimated Using a Water-Budget Model for the Island of Maui, Hawaiʻi, 1978–2007. Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5087. ➽ Low-Flow Characteristics of Streams in the Lahaina District, West Maui, Hawaiʻi. Open File Report 2014-1173. ➽ Water-Chemistry Data Collected in and near Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, Hawaiʻi, 2012–2014.
2012	Open File Report 2012-1115. ➽ Measurement of Seepage Losses and Gains, East Maui Irrigation Diversion System, Maui, Hawaiʻi.
2010	Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5011. ➽ Effects of Surface-Water Diversion on Streamflow, Recharge, Physical Habitat, and Temperature, Nā Wai ‘Ehā, Maui, Hawai‘i.
2006	Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5285. ➽ Natural and Diverted Low-Flow Duration Discharges for Streams Affected by the Waiāhole Ditch System, Windward Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.
2005	Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5213. ➽ Effects of Surface-Water Diversions on Habitat Availability for Native Macrofauna, Northeast Maui, Hawaiʻi.
2004	Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5262. ➽ Median and Low-Flow Characteristics for Streams under Natural and Diverted Conditions, Northeast Maui, Hawaiʻi. Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5080. ➽ Trends in Streamflow Characteristics at Long-Term Gaging Stations, Hawaiʻi. Fact Sheet 2004-3104. ➽ Trends in Streamflow Characteristics in Hawaiʻi, 1913-2002.
2003	Fact Sheet 045-03. ➽ Surface Water in Hawaii.
2001	Open-File Report 01-350. ➽ Drilling, Construction, Water-Level, and Water-Quality Information for the Kualapuu Deep Monitor Well 4-0800-01, Molokai, Hawaii.
1999	Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4090. ➽ Ground-Water Occurrence and Contribution to Streamflow, Northeast Maui, Hawaii. Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4073. ➽ Geohydrology and Numerical Simulation of the Ground-Water Flow System of Kona, Island of Hawaii. Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4159. ➽ Water Budget of East Maui, Hawaii. Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4142. ➽ Ground Water and Surface Water in the Haiku Area, East Maui, Hawaii.
1997	Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4232. ➽ Evaluation of the U.S. Geological Survey Ground-Water Data-Collection Program in Hawaii, 1992.
1996	Water-Resources Investigations Report 96-4238. ➽ Water Budget for the Lahaina District, Island of Maui, Hawaii. Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4212. ➽ Evaluation of the Surface-Water Quantity, Surface-Water Quality, and Rainfall Data-Collection Programs in Hawaii, 1994.
1995	Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4180. ➽ Evaluation of Ground-Water Resources From Available Data, 1992, East Molokai Volcano, Hawaii.
1992	Water-Resources Investigations Report 92-4099. ➽ Estimation of Median Streamflows at Perennial Stream Sites in Hawaii.
1991	Water-Resources Investigations Report 89-4209. ➽ Water resources of the island of Kahoolawe, Hawaii; preliminary findings.
1983	Open-File Report 81-1056-A. ➽ Summary of Available Data on Surface Water, State of Hawaii – Volume 2: General Information and Station List for the Islands of Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii. Open-File Report 81-1056-B. ➽ Summary of Available Data on Surface Water, State of Hawaii – Volume 3: Station Location Maps for the Islands of Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii.
1981	Open-File Report 81-1056. ➽ Summary of Available Data on Surface Water, State of Hawaii – Volume 1: Island of Kauai.

Circulars

These reports were previously published by Commission staff or the Division of Water and Land Development on a range of topics. Prior circulars may be posted as they become available digitally (depending on demand). For reference purposes, circulars (C) were assigned sequential numbers in the order that they were produced (e.g., C-1, C-2…).

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Year	Reports
1992	C-123 Declarations of Water Use, Volume I: Declarations Summarized by File Reference [23 MB] C-123 Declarations of Water Use, Volume II: Location Data Sorted by Tax Map Key [12 MB]

Hawaii Division of Hydrography

These bulletin contain the first comprehensive and detailed studies of the geology and ground water resources of the (then) Territory of Hawaii. The main author of this remarkable series was Harold T. Stearns, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey for more than 20 years. The Bulletins have long been out-of-print, but are still important references for anyone working in the field of Hawaiian geology. Eight of the 13 Bulletins that were produced are provided below in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. To learn more about these bulletins, please visit the U.S. Geological Survey ➽, from which the Bulletins below are linked. (Text excerpted from U.S. Geological Survey Website).

CLICK TO VIEW HAWAII DIVISION OF HYDROGRAPHY BULLETINS

Year	Reports
1935	Bulletin 1 [64.5 MB] ➽, Plate 2 [8.79 MB] ➽: Stearns, H.T., and Vaksvik, K.N. (1935). Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography. 479 p.
1938	Bulletin 4 [15.1 MB] ➽: Stearns, H.T., and Vaksvik, K.N. (1938). Records of the Drilled Wells On The Island of Oahu. Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography. 213 p.
1940	Bulletin 6 [32.3 MB] ➽, Plate 1 [2.56 MB] ➽: Stearns, H.T. (1940). Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Islands of Lanai and Kahoolawe, Hawaii. Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography. 177 p.Stearns, H.T. (1940). Part 1: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Lanai, Hawaii. In H.T. Stearns, Bulletin 6: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Islands of Lanai and Kahoolawe, Hawaii (pp. 1-115). Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography.Macdonald, G.A. (1940). Petrography [of Lanai]. In H.T. Stearns, Bulletin 6: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Islands of Lanai and Kahoolawe, Hawaii (pp. 61-63). Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography.Swartz, J.H. (1940). Geophysical Investigations on Lanai. In H.T. Stearns, Bulletin 6: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Islands of Lanai and Kahoolawe, Hawaii (pp. 97-115). Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography.Stearns, H.T. (1940). Part 2: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Kahoolawe, Hawaii. In H.T. Stearns, Bulletin 6: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Islands of Lanai and Kahoolawe, Hawaii (pp. 117-173). Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography.Macdonald, G.A. (1940). Petrography of Kahoolawe. In H.T. Stearns, Bulletin 6: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Islands of Lanai and Kahoolawe, Hawaii (pp. 149-173). Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography.
1942	Bulletin 7 [70 MB] ➽, Plate 1 [5.99 MB] ➽ : Stearns, H.T., and Macdonald, G.A. (1942). Bulletin 7: General Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Maui, Hawaii. Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography. 344 p.Stearns, H.T. (1942). Part 1: General Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Maui, Hawaii. In H.T. Stearns and G.A. Macdonald, Bulletin 7: General Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Maui, Hawaii (pp. 1-222). Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography.Macdonald, G.A. (1942). Part 2: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Nahiku Area, East Maui. In H.T. Stearns and G.A. Macdonald, Bulletin 7: General Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Maui, Hawaii (pp. 223-274). Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography.Macdonald, G.A. (1942). Petrography of Maui. In H.T. Stearns and G.A. Macdonald, Bulletin 7: General Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Maui, Hawaii (pp. 275-334). Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography.
1946	Bulletin 9 [92.6 MB] ➽: Stearns, H.T., and Macdonald, G.A. (1946). Bulletin 9: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Hawaii. Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography. 363 p.
1947	Bulletin 11 [21.6 MB] ➽, Plate 1 [5.62 MB] ➽ : Stearns, H.T., and Macdonald, G.A. (1947). Bulletin 11: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Molokai, Hawaii. Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography. 113 p.Macdonald, G.A. (1947). Petrography of Molokai. In H.T. Stearns and G.A. Macdonald, Bulletin 11: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Molokai, Hawaii. (pp. 89-110) Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography.
1947	Bulletin 12 [8.2 MB] ➽: Stearns, H.T. (1947). Bulletin 12: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Niihau, Hawaii. Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography. 53 p.Macdonald, G.A. (1947). Petrography of Niihau. In H.T. Stearns, Bulletin 12: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Niihau, Hawaii. (pp. 39-51) Hawaii (Territory): Division of Hydrography.
1960	Bulletin 13 [22.9 MB] ➽, Plate 1 [9.19 MB] ➽: Macdonald, G.A., Davis, D.A., and Cox, D.C. (1960). Bulletin 13: Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Kauai, Hawaii. Hawaii: Division of Hydrography. 212 p.

Reports to the Legislature

These reports are prepared annually for the Legislature by the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Commission on Water Resource Management.

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Year	Reports
2025	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2024	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2023	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2022	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2021	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2020	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2019	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2018	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2017	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection Water Security Grant Program
2016	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection.
2015	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2014	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2013	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2012	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2011	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2010	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2009	20-Year Review of Water Use Permits Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2008	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2007	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection Status of the Statewide Field Investigations of Streams to Establish Instream Flow Standards
2006	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection Urging the Commission on Water Resource Management to Fulfill its Constitutional and Statutory Mandate to Protect Public Instream Uses
2005	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2004	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2003	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection
2002	Identification of Rivers and Streams Worthy of Protection Expenditure and Progress Report of Study Incorporating the State Agricultural Water Use and Development Plan into the State Water Projects Plan The Progress of Establishing the Reasonable Cost to be Assessed to the Permittees as Defined by Water Use Permit Applications (Waiahole Ditch) 94 Hawaii 97 (2000)

Other Reports

Various entities or agencies publish reports which serve to support and inform the work of the Commission.

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Year	Reports
2014	Assessing effects of native forest restoration on soil moisture dynamics and potential aquifer recharge, Auwahi, Maui
2007	Open-File Report 2007-1157. ➽ Water Use in Wetland Kalo Cultivation in Hawai‘i
2000	Fact Sheet 126-00. ➽ Ground Water in Hawaii.
1969	Public Land Policy in Hawaii: An Historical Analysis ➽