Niu Valley Stream Restoration Project

Niu Valley and Niu Stream runs through the Kaua‘i County Housing Agency’s Kīlauea Town Expansion Project, a master planned affordable housing development of 300+ homes on 50-acres in Kīlauea on Kaua‘i’s north shore. The valley was historically populated with native ohia with spring fed Niu stream at its center. The natural character of the valley was, however, destroyed during the plantation era. Forests were cleared for sugar and Niu Stream was cut into a deep ditch to act as a dumping ground for wastewater from the former Kīlauea Sugar Mill. Kaua‘i County, in partnership with the National Tropical Botanical Garden and Namahana Public Charter School, propose to restore Niu Stream and the roughly 20 acres of surrounding valley by reshaping the stream to a more natural meander to reconnect the stream to the floodplain, removing invasive plants and implementing native plant reforestation, creating a natural greenspace park while at the same time managing stormwater from new housing.