Lau Lau Bay Watershed Restoration Project: An introduction

Beautiful. A popular recreation site. An important watershed. Historic. Threatened. These are just a few of the words that could be used to describe the Lau Lau Bay watershed. Located in the eastern portion of Saipan, the watershed is currently the focus of a number of major improvement and restoration projects.Local residents and visitors alike enjoy Lau Lau for its natural beauty, tranquil location, and as a site of a spectacular fringing coral reef. Many families spend their weekends there barbecuing, basking in the sun, and enjoying the beach. Divers, snorkelers, and fishermen are drawn there because of the marine life and food fish. As a major tourist diving spot, Lau Lau Bay is of economic importance to the CNMI. In fact, it is the second most popular dive site on Saipan after the Grotto.

The Lau Lau Bay watershed is also important historically. The entire peninsula is location to a once-thriving ancient Chamorro latte stone village, called Chacha. The first Spanish visitors to the islands frequently referred to Chacha village in the written records of their voyages. During the Japanese Administration era, the Kagman peninsula was known as Plantation II, serving as a sugar cane plantation above the bay, and it even had its own railroad. Although the train and rails are no longer in existence, the roadbed for the tracks, culverts, and drainages can still be seen, reminding us of the area’s rich history. World War II also left its remnants there, and there are numerous Japanese defense posts along the peninsula. After the war, the American military also added more facilities. Lau Lau Bay is also threatened. It is subject to severe erosion during storms and typhoons. This damages the unpaved roads, making them impassable and dangerous, and at the same time, depositing sediment on adjacent reefs. Upland burning, and clearing for development, farming, and hunting also cause increased levels of sediments in the water. These sediments threaten to smother and kill the coral reef that needs clear, nutrient free water to thrive (Peter Houk, Division of Environmental Quality Marine Biologist, wrote about this in the Dec. 9, 2004 issue of the Environmental Page). The popularity of Lau Lau Bay as a recreation area makes it susceptible to other environmental problems such as physical damage to the coral reef by snorkelers and divers, litter and illegal dumping, and illegal beach driving and parking.

Many local and federal conservation agencies, as well as members of the private sector have joined together in order to address the multiple threats to the natural resources of Lau Lau Bay. They include the Coastal Resources Management Office, Division of Environmental Quality, Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works, the Mayor’s Office, Northern Marianas College, Efrain Camacho Engineers and Architects, the Historic Preservation Office, and Natural Resource Conservation Service.

The CRMO has taken the team’s lead in an extensive project called the Lau Lau Bay Watershed Restoration Project. The approach is to address threats to the watershed as a whole instead of focusing on individual problems or threats. A watershed is an area of land where all of the water that falls on it or drains off of it goes into the same place: in this case, LauLau Bay. Everyone and everything that lives in this watershed is affected by the activities that occur there. Approaching and addressing threats on an individual basis has limited effectiveness. The watershed approach is a more holistic solution, and as such can address subtle or chronic problems that lead to the bay’s degradation. The Lau Lau Watershed Restoration Project encompasses improvements to the roads and drainages, revegetation of exposed soils, stabilization of stream mouths and installation of runoff controls. In addition, there are plans to improveme dive access areas, reduce recreational impacts to the reef, and involve the public in cleanups and volunteer water quality monitoring. The agencies will also implement public education and outreach campaigns such as the “Know Your Watershed Program.” So far, CRMO has conducted two well-received public meetings to solicit input from the general public, dive operators, beach users, and private landowners. More public meetings are scheduled for the near future, so keep an eye out for announcements. Keep returning to the Environmental Page for a more intimate look at the progress of the Lau Lau Bay Watershed Restoration Project, and the agencies and individuals that are working towards better management of the bay’s natural resources. (John Dax Moreno)

John Dax Moreno is the Coastal Resources Management Office’s outreach and education coordinator.