Overview

O‘ahu Resource Conservation & Development Council (ORCD) is leading a collaborative effort to enhance stewardship of soils and water on agricultural lands throughout Hawaiʻi. Through a partnership with Houston Engineering, Inc. (HEI), and Island UAV, we have deployed the Prioritize, Target, and Measure Application (PTMApp) in a pilot study on O‘ahu. PTMApp is a publicly available GIS decision support tool that was originally developed by the state of Minnesota to identify opportunities for conservation actions that can improve water quality and track progress towards locally driven environmental goals.

Pilot Progress

PTMApp has successfully been piloted in two different regions on Oʻahu: North Shore (Kaiaka Bay) and Windward (Waimānalo Bay). Through these pilot efforts, our partnership has engaged with stakeholders to learn how the resulting data can best serve those communities in identifying opportunities for conservation actions to improve water quality. A large part of this initial effort also focused on developing a data translation guide to adjust PTMApp from the continent to Oʻahu.

Stakeholder Process

We initiated efforts to gather insights from stakeholders for PTMApp O‘ahu. Our approach extended beyond technical stakeholders to include farmers, landowners, land managers and local community members in the pilot areas. These community members played a key role in uplifting the cultural heritage tied to these specific lands and places, helping to foster connections between technical and community stakeholders.

Applications

PTMApp data is meant to provide insights into where specific conservation actions, such as improved nutrient management and cover crops, will help improve water quality. It can be used to help understand how to reduce the amount of sediment and nutrients reaching streams, rivers, and eventually the ocean. It can be applied to aid in developing watershed restoration plans, conservation plans with individual landowners, and track progress towards water quality improvement goals over time.

Limitations

PTMApp only provides data for sediment and nutrients (Phosphorus and Nitrogen) in areas of sheet and rill flow (i.e., overland flow). The current approach does not address hydrology, ditch or stream erosion, or other water quality issues that may be of significance within the Hawaiian Islands.

It is important to acknowledge that PTMApp was built to utilize State and Federal sources of data, with an emphasis on Western/continental styles of conservation management. These data sources typically will not align with how Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) identify the landscape of Oʻahu. As our partnership continues to grow the use of PTMApp, efforts will be made to focus on aligning PTMApp information with the Native Hawaiian approach to ahupuaʻa.