Participants in the Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps team work with state Department of Land and Natural Resources staff to improve a lower portion of Waihee Ridge Trail over the summer. The department is awaiting approval on plans to improve drainage and install two new observation platforms along the trail, which has been eroded by wear and heavy rains. State Department of Land and Natural Resources photo

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is awaiting approval of plans to repair the eroded paths of the Waihee Ridge Trail, a popular hike that residents and visitors have expressed concern about in recent months.

Plans call for improving drainage and stability issues and installing two new observation platforms along the trail. The project’s draft environmental assessment was published in the Oct. 8 edition of the Office of Environmental Quality Control’s “The Environmental Notice.”

A finding of no significant impact is expected.

“The project will start upon completion of the (environmental assessment) and permits,” said Scott Fretz, manager of the department’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife on Maui. “We anticipate starting before the end of the year, assuming all compliance and authorizations are in order.”

The Waihee Ridge Trail begins at the 1,000-foot elevation and meanders 2.5 miles along the windward slope of the West Maui Mountains, passing through thick brush and a wet native scrub forest along the way. The peak, located at the 2,563-foot elevation, gives way to panoramic views of Central Maui and the Kahakuloa slopes.

But years of wear and last winter’s high rainfall have taken a toll on the trail. In January, hikers had expressed concern about the slippery, eroded conditions. Some tour companies also said at the time that they decided not to bring hikers to the trail in the wake of heavy rains.

Earlier, in 2015, El Nino conditions brought a wet summer and near- to above-average rainfall in several parts of Maui, according to the National Weather Service. In Kahakuloa, the weather service logged nearly 79 inches of rain for the year, 153 percent of average rainfall for the area.

In January, the department said it was starting to plan out the necessary repairs for the trail. The last major work performed on the trail was about four years ago, according to Torrie Nohara, trails and access specialist for the Forestry and Wildlife Division on Maui.

Once it gets approval, the department plans to install features along the trail known as rolling dips, which help redirect runoff to the side of the path and minimize erosion, according to the draft assessment. Improvements also will include clearing dead trees and branches, and minor deviations along the trail to minimize hiking hazards.

Two new observation platforms also will be built. The first will be placed at the second bench location overlooking the Waihee Valley and will measure 8 feet by 16 feet, Fretz said. The second platform will be built at the summit and will measure 16 feet by 16 feet.

Another addition that could help with drainage is a sheet drain, a layer of permeable material installed under the trail to allow water to pass below the surface.

“The location of the sheet drain will be after the paper bark trees on the flat boggy spot, where the water tends to sit on the trail due to poor drainage,” Fretz explained.

He estimated cost of the improvements at around $70,000. Work is expected to take two to three months. Some parts of the trail may be closed during construction, but the department has not yet decided when the trail will close, Fretz said.

“We will provide public notice once we make that determination,” he added.

The plans are open to public review at oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Documents/Environmental_Notice/Archives/2010s/2016-10-08.pdf. Under the Maui chapter, click “Waihe’e Ridge Trail Improvements.”

Comments are due by Monday and must be sent to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, 54 South High St., Wailuku 96793 or to Torrie Nohara at torrie.l.nohara@hawaii.gov.

* Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com.