Ala Wai Watershed
Special Improvement District Proposal
An Ala Wai Watershed Collaboration Initiative
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E komo mai. This website aims to inform Ala Wai Watershed residents and stakeholders about a proposed Special Improvement District, designed to advance nature-based solutions that protect and enhance the watershed and its communities. To realize this vision, the initiative introduces the Community Investment Vehicle (CIVic)*—a model for collective action and sustained investment that lies at the heart of the proposed Special Improvement District.
Read the Draft Bill here
What is a watershed?
What is a watershed?
A watershed is an area of land where all the rainwater and streams drain into a common outlet, such as a river, lake, or ocean. Google Map showing the Ala Wai Watershed.
What is a district?
What is a district?
A district is a defined geographic area that is established for a specific administrative, political, legal, or organizational purpose. Districts can vary widely in size and function, but they typically serve to:
• Organize governance or representation (e.g., electoral districts)
• Deliver public services (e.g., school or health districts)
• Designate zones for planning or development (e.g., business improvement districts, conservation districts)
*CIVic Defined
A Community Investment Vehicle (CIVic) is a locally driven funding and governance mechanism designed to coordinate and sustain long-term investment in community-prioritized projects. In the context of the Ala Wai Watershed, the CIVic is proposed as a Special Improvement District (SID) to:
Plan, fund, implement, and maintain nature-based and infrastructure improvements;
Advance watershed-scale goals such as flood risk reduction, water quality enhancement, and ecosystem restoration;
Engage residents, businesses, and institutions as co-investors in shared outcomes;
And ensure equitable, transparent, and accountable stewardship of resources that benefit both the environment and the people who live and work within the watershed.
Governance Structure
Governance Structure
The CIVic would be governed by a diverse board of community stakeholders, ensuring inclusive, cross-sector decision-making that reflects the needs and values of the Ala Wai Watershed. It would be formally established as a Special Improvement District (SID) under Chapter 36 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu.
Goals and Objectives
Goals and Objectives
The CIVic aims to unify planning, implementation, and upkeep of projects in the Ala Wai Watershed to reduce flood risk, enhance water quality, and restore vital ecosystems.
Projects
Projects
From ridge to reef, the Ala Wai Watershed Collaboration is working toward implementation of integrated, community-based projects emerging from a 2022 feasibility study focused on reducing flood risks, restoring native ecosystems, and advancing green infrastructure. The CIVic would provide the structure needed to facilitate fundraising and cross-sector coordination to bring these projects to life—and to monitor and sustain their impact into the future.
Additional Resources and Information
Draft Bill (Revised May 2025) - most current draft version of the bill for an ordinance
Ala Wai Watershed Plan (1998) - comprehensive, community- and agency-driven report that outlines detailed strategies to reduce pollution, erosion, flooding, and sedimentation across the Ala Wai Watershed through coordinated watershed management, infrastructure improvements, and public stewardship initiatives
Ala Wai Watershed Analysis (2003) - recommends integrated actions to improve water quality, reduce flooding, and restore the watershed
Ala Wai Watershed Feasibility Study (2022) - evaluates seven improvement projects using the Mālama Implementation Tool. See also the story map below.
Ala Wai Community Investment Vehicle (CIVic): Legal Options and Considerations
Below: Ongoing projects that could grow and develop with the CIVic-backed special improvement watershed district in place
Above: Storymap about the Follow the Drop project led by Hawaiʻi Green Growth in partnership with 3Rwater to bring rain barrels, rain gardens, and other green stormwater infrastructure to properties across the watershed.
Contact Us
We want to hear from you! Please email info@hawaiigreengrowth.org with any questions or concerns, or call 808.225.0768 to talk story with Cyrus (a human) at Hawaiʻi Green Growth.
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