The early Polynesian settlers of the Hawaiian Islands identified water with wealth. Wai is the Hawaiian word for fresh water; waiwai means value or worth. Kana means belonging to, or equally sharing, and kanawai was the law of the land. There were once many more streams and marshes in Hawai`i than there are now. Whole settlements were built around streams that no longer flow. The underground water supply was once greater too. It helped feed freshwater springs that are now dry. Areas named for their freshwater springs include Waimea, Waikiki, Waipahu, and Wailuku.
People thought the water supply would last forever, and by 1910, 430 wells had been dug on O`ahu alone. As a result, the water table dropped by one-third within 30 years. Springs, streams, and wells near the coast dried up, or became brackish (salty). In 1915, the Honolulu Water Commission began asking people to conserve water. The Board of Water Supply was formed in 1929 to manage the water supply. Today, there are more people, more industries, and more uses for water than ever, while the source of all water, precipitation (rain and snow) remains the same. In some mountain areas, watersheds are deteriorating due to a loss of forest vegetation. As the population on all islands continues to grow, the demand for fresh water grows too. Water planners once believed that O`ahu, where most of the state's people live, was the only island that would ever have water shortages. Now water shortages are occurring on neighbor islands, too. Our growing population and tourist industry demand more water than ever. On O`ahu, most of the water used by people, animals, and crops comes from underground (groundwater). On the neighbor islands, most of the water used is surface water (like streams and springs). This is especially true on the island of Hawai`i, which is too young to have stored much groundwater, and so high that it is very expensive to drill for it. Instead, water tanks that catch rain water are commonly used. People cannot always take as much water as they want anymore. As islands, our fresh water supply is limited. Imagine the cost of trying to import fresh water from the mainland! By supporting management activities such as reforestation, protective zoning, control of feral animals, and fire protection, we can help maintain the quality of our watershed reserves. With watershed protection, and water conservation, we can help to ensure that Hawai`i will still have fresh water for many years to come.
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After
Captain Cook arrived, cattle and other hoofed animals were introduced
to the Islands. These animals polluted the rives with their wastes
and removed so many plants that soil began washing into the rivers
and out to sea. Many forests were cut to make room for farmland
and grazing animals. Soils, laid bare and packed down by animals'
hooves, lost the ability to soak up water. This meant that less
and less water was draining into rivers or underground water supplies.
With forest protection gone, some streams became muddy or turned
into raging rivers during heavy storms. 
In
1903, the Territory of Hawai`i established one of the first forestry
agencies in the nation. They were given the authority to establish
upland forest reserves for the protection of springs, streams,
and other water supply sources. The undisturbed cover of the forest
floor also acts as a sponge to soak up and filter moisture which
percolates down to the water table to provide our drinking water.
These areas are called watershed reserves.