Hawaii Water Resource, Hawaii Islands Water Cycles

On small islands it's easy to trace the continuous cycle of water, although the pattern will vary at times and in places according to the differences in geology, land forms, soils, and rainfall. An island's water cycle can also be modified by human activities, such as diverting mountain stream water for irrigation, pumping groundwater, altering run-off patterns by agricultural and urban development, and disposing of sewage effluent into the ocean.

Hawaii's water resources are remarkably diverse with perennial streams, rain forests, cactus forests, as well as underground tunnels high in the mountains and near sea level. Thousands of gently sloping, basaltic lava flows that comprise the bulk of the island volcanoes are a vital part of Hawaii's water resources. The structural features associated with these flows, such as voids between the flows, shrinkage fractures, and lava beds, make these rocks porous, highly permeable, and thus principle aquifers.

In Hawaii, basaltic lava flows in which rainwater or dike-impounded water collects are the principal aquifers in the state. The water pools in large lens-shaped bodies commonly called a Ghyben-Herzberb lens. Such water is vital for residential and commercial use.

Drought