The Koʻolau Mountains Watershed Partnership (KMWP) is a voluntary alliance of major public and private landowners committed to the protection of the native Hawaiian forests of the Koʻolau Mountains. These landowners recognized the importance of these forest ecosystems for their ability to replenish the underground aquifers which provide the majority of the fresh water used on Oʻahu—approximately 133 billion gallons each year.
Since the formation of the partnership in 1999, our mission has been to maintain the health of the forested expanses of the Koʻolau range as a reliable source of high quality water for Oʻahu’s people in perpetuity. KMWP works to coordinate and perform critical forest management actions such as controlling the spread of invasive plants and animals across nearly 100,000 acres of partnership lands. The mitigation of threats to the integrity of our native forests is crucial to safeguard our precious fresh water resources into the future.
What We Do
KMWP works across landowner boundaries to eliminate threats to the watershed such as habitat-modifying weeds and ungulates using a combination of adaptive management strategies and established conservation practices.
These methods include the installation of ungulate-proof fencing, various weed removal techniques, restoration work, and long-term monitoring.
Check out KMWP activities in the 2022 Annual Impact Report!
