South Maui gulch flooding and sediment management
Maui County
Summary
Drone footage showed repeated flooding and sediment buildup on the Keahuaiwi, Waiakoa, Kūlanihākoʻi, and Waipuʻilani gulches, flooding homes, businesses, and roads in Kihei. Testifiers said development in flood zones and narrow channelization make it worse, and pushed for wide gulch buffers and wetland preservation.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 4
- Last 30 days
- 0
Discussed at 2 meetings in the last 60 days; most recently Sep 18, 2026.
Impact analysis
Roughly 120,000 cubic yards of sediment was removed from Kūlanihākoʻi Gulch in 2024 at public expense, only to have 80,000–90,000 cubic yards wash back down in the next storm.
South Maui residents, businesses, and condo owners along the flooded corridors would benefit from better gulch management and flood-safe planning.
Owners of properties built in former wetlands and floodways face repeated flood and sediment damage.
Mentions & discussions (5)
Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee (2025-2027) — September 18, 2026
The committee approved prioritizing nature-based and traditional Hawaiian approaches over concrete drainage, reflecting community pushback against an old drainage plan that would have dumped water on coral reefs. Members debated whether green methods can handle massive storm volumes.
Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee (2025-2027) — September 17, 2026
Drone footage showed repeated flooding and sediment buildup on the Keahuaiwi, Waiakoa, Kūlanihākoʻi, and Waipuʻilani gulches, flooding homes, businesses, and roads in Kihei. Testifiers said development in flood zones and narrow channelization make it worse, and pushed for wide gulch buffers and wetland preservation.
Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee (2025-2027) — June 17, 2026
About 300,000 cubic yards of storm sediment clog the Kīhei gulches and feed the flooding problem; a $20 million-plus USDA watershed grant is pending. The famous South Kīhei Road sinkhole turned out to start with a watermain break, and repairs with engineered resilience measures are underway.
Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee (2025-2027) — April 10, 2026
After back-to-back storms, members asked about potholes, pre-positioned contractor contracts, and long-term flood mitigation for the Kīhei gulches, where modeling work is underway but hampered by a shortage of engineers.
Widespread flooding, damage underway as storm batters Maui County
Widespread flooding, damage underway as storm batters Maui County Hawaii News Now
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
The weekly brief for Maui County
What the council decided, in plain English — one email a week.
Free. Unsubscribe with one click any time. We never sell your email.