WCC Campus
Windward Community College (WCC) is located in the city of Kane‘ohe on the windward side of the island of O‘ahu. As one of seven 2-year colleges in the Community College system of the University of Hawai‘i, WCC is a federally designated Minority Institution with a student population of about 1,500 students, serving a student body of approximately 27% Hawaiian and 28% Asian/Pacific Island ancestry, and 64% female. WCC is primarily a liberal arts transfer college with an emphasis in marine, earth and space sciences.
The WCC campus is nestled between the foot of the Ko‘olau Mountains and Kane‘ohe Bay. This location provides WCC students with unique natural laboratories for engaging in environmental issues, both terrestrial and aquatic.
Ko‘olau Mountains and Kane‘ohe Bay
The Ko‘olau Range, which spans much of the length of Windward O‘ahu, has a profound effect on the distribution of clouds and rainfall around the entire island. From these highlands flow eleven small streams draining both urbanized and non-urbanized watershed.
The stream outflows have significant influence on Kane‘ohe Bay. The watershed along the coastal fringe in Hawai‘i is no longer an integral part of the natural system in terms of ground-water replenishment, run-off to streams or in providing sediment traps prior to discharge offshore. The coastal fringe has been paved with asphalt and concrete and the run-off channeled into storm drains that dump directly into the ocean.
Kane‘ohe Bay, which is about 3 x 8 km in size, is a barrier reef system. The towns of Kane‘ohe and nearby Kailua have grown up rapidly on the western side of the Bay. Over the last decade there has been considerable recreational development in these areas in the form of new golf courses and parks. As a result, the pattern of sediment deposition and nutrient input into the Bay has changed due to variations in surface runoff from the land. The coral reef is under great environmental stress—some reef areas have degenerated, while other parts of the coastline have seen sediment buildup due to excessive sediment discharge from streams. Remote sensing and GIS techniques will greatly increase our understanding of these fragile environments.
Directions to the Hoa‘aina RS/GIS Center:
WCC Campus Map:
