This project will restore two riparian areas adjacent to ancient hawaiian wetland agricultural complexes where walls remain primarily intact in lower limahuli preserve part of the national tropical…

This $244,900 Cooperative Agreement awarded by the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the National Fish Habitat Partnership (CFDA 15.686) program will fund the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) to restore two riparian areas adjacent to ancient Hawaiian wetland agricultural complexes in the Lower Limahuli Preserve on Kauai. The project aims to remove established and incipient invasive tree species to daylight the stream channel, reopen the traditional auwai irrigation systems, and replant the areas with ecologically and culturally important native flora. This will serve to enhance habitat and refugia for native migratory fish and invertebrates in Limahuli Stream. The award has a period of performance from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2026.

This project will restore two riparian areas adjacent to ancient hawaiian wetland agricultural complexes where walls remain primarily intact in lower limahuli preserve part of the national tropical botanical garden. The areas have fortunately been protected from development through a conservation easement and conservation district use permit. Unfortunately a mix of encroaching and wellestablished invasive trees and the lack of permanent residents users in the area have left the natural stream channel shaded and agricultural complex to be overgrown. This unnaturally dense overstory will be substantially reduced by removal of nonnative tree cover. In addition to daylighting the stream channel reopening the previously utilized auwai irrigation canal systems will serve as a mechanism in which flashy stream conditions could be spread throughout the floodplain but will also stand to serve as increased habitat and refugia for native migratory fish and invertebrates inhabiting limahuli stream. In this project we will remove established and incipient invasive species and replace them with ecological and culturally important flora curated with the assistance of inhouse horticultural staff familiar with appropriate planting practices.