Ecology
The West Maui Mountains create one of the steepest rainfall gradients on Earth — over 300 inches annually at upper elevations while the leeward coast receives less than 15 inches in just a few miles. Understanding these natural systems is essential to recovery. This topic covers rainfall patterns, stream ecosystems, the historic Mokuhinia wetland destroyed by urbanization, invasive fire-prone grasses that conducted fire through abandoned plantation ditches, and proposed ecological restoration through native riparian re-vegetation and watershed protection.
Sections
The Four-Buffer Framework
Coastal, riparian, peri-urban, and water collection zones forming the backbone of the recovery plan.
Environmental Analysis
Water systems, rainfall patterns, streams, and sea level rise projections for West Maui.
Proposed Systems - Water, Green Infrastructure, and Mobility
Integrated urban systems connecting water capture, green corridors, and a new mobility network.
Drawings
Buffer Framework Base Plan
Base plan showing the coastal, riparian, and peri-urban buffer extents with the primary circulation framework
Peri-Urban Buffer
Agricultural transition zone between the proposed boulevard and highway serving as firebreak
Buffer Framework - Mauka to Makai
Conceptual section showing four buffer zones from hinterland to nearshore: coastal, peri-urban, riparian, and hinterland catchment
Riparian Buffer
Riparian buffer design principles with section detail showing stream corridor restoration
Complete Buffer System
All four buffer zones overlaid — coastal, riparian, peri-urban, and water collection — in one comprehensive plan
Coast to Peri-Urban Plan
Full transect plan showing the relationship between coastal buffer, urban core, and peri-urban edge
Coastal Buffer - 3D View
Axonometric rendering of the coastal buffer zone showing integrated landscape design with green infrastructure and park areas
Composite Regional Analysis
Combined systems map identifying developable edges and constraint zones across West Maui
Integrated Framework Plan
Integrated plan linking buffers, circulation, the school, redensification, and the peri-urban park in one framework
Existing Green Infrastructure
Pre-fire map showing fragmented green spaces and limited tree canopy in Lahaina
Lahaina Base Map
Base map of Lahaina showing topography, road network, runoff, and building footprints before analytical overlays
Peri-Urban Buffer - 3D View
3D visualization of peri-urban agricultural buffer zone with water management and fire-resistant vegetation
Peri-Urban Buffer Map
Plan showing the peri-urban firebreak and agricultural transition zone between the rebuilt town and the highway
Proposed Green Infrastructure
Expanded green network connecting coastal promenade, riparian corridors, and agricultural edge
Rainfall Distribution
Rainfall gradient map showing precipitation from 400 inches at summit to 12 inches at coast
Regional Topography — Mauka to Makai
Topographic map of West Maui showing coast-to-peak elevation and building footprints
Riparian Buffer Map
Plan showing the riparian corridor running mauka to makai through Lahaina as a restored ecological and public-access spine
Riparian Buffer - 3D View
3D visualization of riparian buffer restoration showing stream restoration with vegetation and flood management
Sea Level Rise Projections
Projected coastal encroachment scenarios from 2040 to 2300 along Lahaina's coastline
Sources
Back to the Future in the Caves of Kaua'i
Burney, David A. — Pre-human ecosystem reconstruction providing deep-time ecological context for Hawaiian landscapes
Feathered Gods and Fishhooks: An Introduction to Hawaiian Archaeology and Prehistory
Kirch, Patrick Vinton — Pre-contact Hawaiian settlement patterns and land use; archaeological context for Lahaina's cultural landscape
Land Study Bureau Agricultural Classifications
LSB (University of Hawai'i) — Soil productivity grading (A through E) forming the basis for land-use planning and zoning decisions
Maui: The Last Hawaiian Place
Wenkam, Robert — Early conservation argument with historical landscape photography documenting Maui before mass tourism
Online Rainfall Atlas of Hawaiʻi
Giambelluca, Thomas W. et al. — Definitive rainfall data for Hawaiʻi; source for the 97% precipitation gradient analysis from Puʻu Kukui to Lahaina coast
Buffer Zone Principles
Singh, Akhil — Comprehensive framework for coastal, riparian, agricultural, water retention, and residential buffer zones
Stream Classification Analysis
Singh, Akhil — Cultural versus aquatic stream resources; LSB land classifications applied to Lahaina watersheds
Resilience and Stability of Ecological Systems
Holling, C.S. — Foundational theory of ecological resilience; framework applied to urban systems and post-disaster recovery
Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World
Walker, Brian, and David Salt — Systems thinking approach to resilience; framework for understanding how communities and ecosystems adapt to disturbance
Restoring Streams in Cities: A Guide for Planners, Policymakers, and Citizens
Riley, Ann L. — Practical methodology for urban stream restoration; directly applicable to Lahaina's riparian buffer strategy
Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report
Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission — Official sea level rise projections used for the coastal buffer strategy; provides the 3.5-foot and 6-foot planning thresholds
Yamuna River Project: New Delhi Urban Ecology
Alday, Iñaki, and Pankaj Vir Gupta — Urban river restoration and ecological urbanism; methodology for treating water corridors as design opportunities