Prepared in cooperation with the Kauai County Department of Water

Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo 

Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells, 

Kauai, Hawaii

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Open-File Report 2005-1159

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Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing 

of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper 

Eleele Tank Monitor Wells, Kauai, Hawaii

By Scot K. Izuka

Prepared in cooperation with the Kauai County Departmrnt of Water

Open-File report 2005-1159

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

Gale A. Norton, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2005

For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services

Box 25286, Denver Federal Center

Denver, CO 80225

For more information about the USGS and its products:

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to 

reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

Suggested citation:

Izuka, S.K., 2005, Construction, geology, and aquifer testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank 

monitor wells, Kauai, Hawaii: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1159, 21 p. 
iii

Contents

Abstract ................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ................................................................................................ 1

Setting ...................................................................................................... 3

Location of the Monitor Wells ........................................................................... 3

Well Construction ....................................................................................... 5

Borehole Geology ....................................................................................... 5

Aquifer Tests ............................................................................................. 11

Maalo Road Monitor Well ........................................................................ 11

Aahoaka Hill Monitor Well ........................................................................ 11

Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Well .................................................................. 13

Summary ................................................................................................... 20

Literature Cited .......................................................................................... 20

Appendix provided in Excel format

Figures

 Figure 1. Location of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank monitor wells,

Kauai, Hawaii ................................................................................. 2

 Figure 2. Geologic map showing location of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper

Eleele Tank monitor wells .................................................................. 4

 Figure 3. Construction drawing of the Maalo Road monitor well ................................. 6

 Figure 4. Construction drawing of the Aahoaka Hill monitor well .............................. 7

 Figure 5. Construction drawing of the Upper Eleele Tank monitor well ........................ 8

 Figure 6. Generalized borehole geology of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele

Tank monitor wells ........................................................................... 9

 Figure 7. Schematic drawing of the typical setup used for the aquifer tests at the Maalo

Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank monitor wells ........................... 12

 Figure 8. Drawdown and discharge during the September 1, 1998 step-drawdown aquifer

test at the Maalo Road monitor well ...................................................... 14

 Figure 9. Drawdown and discharge during the September 8 - 15, 1998 sustained-discharge 

aquifer test at the Maalo Road monitor well ............................................. 14

 Figure 10. Drawdown and discharge during the November 17, 1998 step-drawdown aquifer

test at the Aahoaka Hill monitor well ...................................................... 15

 Figure 11. Drawdown and discharge during the November 18, 1998 step-drawdown aquifer

test at the Aahoaka Hill monitor well ...................................................... 15

 Figure 12. Drawdown and discharge during the November 19-20, 1998 sustained-discharge

aquifer test at the Aahoaka Hill monitor well ............................................. 16

 Figure 13. Drawdown and discharge during the January 12, 1999 step-drawdown aquifer

test at the Aahoaka Hill monitor well ...................................................... 16

 Figure 14. Drawdown and discharge during the January 21-28, 1999 sustained-discharge

aquifer test at the Aahoaka Hill monitor well ............................................. 17

 Figure 15. Drawdown and discharge during the first step-drawdown aquifer test of January 13,

1999 at the Upper Eleele Tank monitor well ............................................. 17
iv

 Figure 16. Drawdown and discharge during the second step-drawdown aquifer test of January

13, 1999 at the Upper Eleele Tank monitor well .......................................... 18

 Figure 17. Water levels during January 28 – February 3, 1999 pressure-transducer monitoring at

the Upper Eleele Tank monitor well ...................................................... 18

 Figure 18. Drawdown and discharge during the February 2–9, 1999 sustained-discharge aquifer

test of the Upper Eleele Tank monitor well Drawdown measured by electric tape and 

by pressure transducer during the February 2-9, 1999 sustained-discharge aquifer 

test, at the Upper Eleele Tank monitor well ............................................. 19

Tables

 Table 1. Summary of locality information and well-construction history for Maalo Road,

Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank monitor wells, Kauai, Hawaii .................. 5

 Table 2. Major-element composition, in weight percent, of selected samples of drill

cuttings from the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele

Tank monitor wells ........................................................................... 10

Conversion Factors and Datum

Multiply By To obtain

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

gallon (gal) 3.785 liter (L) 

gallon (gal) 0.003785 cubic meter (m3) 

gallon per minute (gal/min) 0.06309 liter per second (L/s)

inch per year (in/yr) 25.4 millimeter per year (mm/yr)

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:

 °F=(1.8×°C)+32

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as follows:

 °C=(°F-32)/1.8

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to mean sea level. Elevation, as used in this report, 

refers to the distance above the vertical datum.

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Specific conductance is given in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (μS/cm at 

25 °C)

Clock time is expressed in the 24-hour (24-h) format in Hawaii Standard Time (HST). For 

example, “14:15” corresponds to 2:15 PM HST..
Abstract

The Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank 

monitor wells were constructed using rotary drilling methods 

between July 1998 and August 2002 as part of a program of 

exploratory drilling, aquifer testing, and hydrologic analysis 

on Kauai. Aquifer tests were conducted in the uncased 

boreholes of the wells.

The Maalo Road monitor well in the Lihue Basin 

penetrated 915 feet, mostly through mafic lava flows. Most of 

the rock samples from this well had chemical compositions 

similar to the Koloa Volcanics, but the deepest sample 

analyzed had a composition similar to the Waimea Canyon 

Basalt. Water temperature ranged from 25.6 to 27.4 degrees 

Celsius and specific conductance ranged from 303 to 627 

microsiemens per centimeter during aquifer testing. Discharge 

rate ranged from 174 to 220 gallons per minute and maximum 

drawdown was 138.25 ft during a 7-day sustained-discharge 

test, but the test was affected by pump and generator problems.

The Aahoaka Hill monitor well in the Lihue Basin 

penetrated 804 feet, mostly through mafic lava flows and 

possibly dikes. The well penetrated rocks having chemical 

compositions similar to the Waimea Canyon Basalt. During 

the first three hours of a sustained-discharge aquifer test 

in which the discharge rate varied between 92 and 117 

gallons per minute, water temperature was 24.6 to 25.6 

degrees Celsius, and specific conductance was 212 to 238 

microsiemens per centimeter; this test was halted after a short 

period because drawdown was high. In a subsequent 7-day 

test, discharge was 8 to 23 gallons per minute, and maximum 

drawdown was 37.71 feet after 1,515 minutes of testing.

The Upper Eleele Tank monitor well is near the 

Hanapepe River Valley. The well penetrated 740 feet through 

soil, sediment, mafic lava flows, volcanic ash, and scoria. 

Rocks above a depth of 345 feet had compositions similar to 

the Koloa Volcanics, but a sample from 720 to 725 feet had a 

composition similar to rocks of the Waimea Canyon Basalt. 

During a 7-day aquifer test with a sustained discharge between 

278 and 290 gallons per minute, most of the drawdown of 1.10 

feet occurred in the first 455 minutes of the test. Water levels 

measured thereafter may have been influenced by pumping 

from a nearby well. Water temperature ranged from 20.2 to 

21.4 degrees Celsius and specific conductance from 8,380 to 

18,940 microsiemens per centimeter during the aquifer tests.

Introduction

Beginning in the 1990s the U. S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) and the County of Kauai Department of Water (Kauai 

DOW) undertook a comprehensive, multi-phase study of 

ground water in eastern Kauai, Hawaii (fig. 1). As part of that 

study, six monitor wells were constructed and tested between 

April 1995 and April 1996 at sites in the Lihue Basin. These 

wells are described by Izuka and Gingerich (1997a, 1997b, 

1997c, and 1997d) and Gingerich and Izuka (1997a and 

1997b), and the hydrogeologic implications of the data from 

the wells are described in Izuka and Gingerich (1998, 2003), 

Reiners and others (1998), and Izuka and Oki (2002). The 

monitor-well construction continued in the period between 

July 1998 and August 2002, with the construction and testing 

of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank 

monitor wells (fig. 1). This report documents the construction 

and testing of these wells, including (1) the drilling history, 

well-construction details, and summary of the driller's 

notes, (2) lithologic descriptions of the rock chips (cuttings) 

recovered during drilling, (3) geochemical composition of 

selected samples of the cuttings, and (4) data from stepdrawdown and sustained-discharge aquifer tests.

Acknowledgements – The construction, data collection, 

and testing of the wells was made possible with the 

cooperation and assistance of the Kauai DOW. The wells were 

drilled on public and private land, with permission from the 

State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, 

Amfac Sugar - Lihue Plantation (currently the Lihue 

Land Company), and the Kauai DOW. Drilling and wellconstruction information were drawn extensively from the 

notes of Kimo Akina of the USGS. Gregory A. Berman, Luis 

E. Menoyo, Jeff A. Perreault, and Todd K. Presley assisted in 

the preparation of this report.

Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo 

Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells, 

Kauai, Hawaii

By Scot K. Izuka
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EXPLANATION

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Figure 1. Location of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank monitor wells, Kauai, Hawaii.

2 Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells
Setting

Kauai is the fourth-largest island (553 mi2) in the tropical 

North Pacific Hawaiian Archipelago (fig. 1). The island is 

formed by one or more shield volcanoes that built up from 

the Pacific Ocean floor by mid-plate, hot-spot volcanism. 

Kauai has a roughly circular outline and the broad-domed 

profile characteristic of shield-volcano islands, but erosion 

and faulting have formed large valleys, canyons, and other 

depressions, including the Lihue Basin. Kauai reaches an 

elevation of 5,243 ft near the center of the island, and the 

ground surface generally slopes away from this point and 

terminates at the coast in cliffs, rocky coasts, coastal plains, 

bays and beaches. The stream-drainage pattern on Kauai is 

primarily radial; however, geologic structure has influenced 

the drainage patterns in some areas such as the Lihue Basin.

Rainfall distribution on Kauai is influenced by the 

orographic effect. Rainfall is heaviest where the prevailing 

northeasterly trade winds encounter the windward flanks of 

Kauai’s central mountains, forcing warm, moist air into the 

cool, higher elevations. Average annual rainfall ranges from 

about 25 in/yr at leeward coastal areas to more than 400 in/yr 

near the crest of Kauai’s central mountains (Giambelluca and 

others, 1986).

Hydrogeology – The rocks of Kauai are divided into 

two principal geologic formations that are separated by 

an erosional unconformity (Macdonald and others, 1960; 

Langenheim and Clague, 1987). The Pliocene-age Waimea 

Canyon Basalt is the older of the two formations and 

constitutes the basement on which younger sediments and 

volcanic rocks lie (fig. 2). The rocks of the Waimea Canyon 

Basalt are primarily tholeiitic basalts, with rare hawaiites and 

mugearites, formed during the island's shield-building stage 

(Macdonald and others, 1960; Clague and Dalrymple, 1988; 

Reiners and others, 1998). The Koloa Volcanics is a younger 

formation that partially fills large valleys, canyons, and other 

depressions formed by erosion and faulting of the shield 

volcano. The Koloa Volcanics includes variably weathered, 

thick, massive lava flows and pyroclastic deposits of highly 

alkalic mafic composition, erupted from scattered rejuvenated 

volcanism, intercalated with terrigenous and marine sediment 

(Macdonald and others, 1960; Clague and Dalrymple, 1988; 

Holcomb and others, 1997; Reiners and others, 1998).

The Waimea Canyon Basalt is the predominant formation 

at the surface in western Kauai, but in eastern Kauai, the 

Waimea Canyon Basalt is mostly buried beneath the Koloa 

Volcanics (fig. 2). In some areas such as the Lihue Basin, 

the Waimea Canyon Basalt is buried under several hundred 

to more than 1,000 ft of Koloa Volcanics, and crops out only 

in hills and ridges. In some outcrops, the lava flows of the 

Waimea Canyon Basalt are intruded by numerous dense, nearvertical, sheet-like, volcanic dikes, which cut vertically across 

the thin lavas (Macdonald and others, 1960).

The thin lava flows of the Waimea Canyon Basalt are 

among the most permeable rocks on Kauai. Wells in the 

Waimea Canyon Basalt in southern and western Kauai have 

relatively high specific capacities. Ground water in this region 

appears to be analogous to ground water in other areas of the 

Hawaiian archipelago where an extensive fresh ground-water 

lens overlies saltwater in the aquifer. In these so-called "basal" 

ground-water systems (Meinzer, 1930), the water table is 

generally no more than a few tens of feet above sea level and 

slopes gently from the center of the island toward the coast. 

The water table is mostly far below the ground surface except 

at the coast where most of the freshwater flowing through the 

lens discharges.

In contrast, the regional permeability of the Koloa 

Volcanics is low (Macdonald and others, 1960; Izuka and 

Gingerich, 1998; Gingerich, 1999). Where this formation 

predominates and the climate is moist, such as in the Lihue 

Basin, the low-permeability aquifer becomes saturated nearly 

to the surface with ground water. Most ground water flowing 

through the basin discharges to streams rather than at the 

coast. Hydraulic gradients and the slope of the water table are 

steep near discharge points such as streams and wells (Izuka 

and Gingerich, 1998, 2003).

Intrusion of volcanic dikes can reduce the bulk 

permeability of lava-flow aquifers on shield volcanoes 

(Takasaki and Mink, 1985). Dikes are exposed in some 

outcrops of the Waimea Canyon Basalt and are likely to exist 

in parts of the Waimea Canyon Basalt that are buried beneath 

Koloa Volcanics (Macdonald and others 1960; Izuka and 

Gingerich, 1998).

Location of the Monitor Wells

A summary of locality information and construction 

history for the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele 

Tank monitor wells is given in table 1. The Maalo Road 

monitor well is on the eastern side of Maalo Road (State 

Highway 583), about 2.7 mi north along the road from its 

intersection with State Highway 56 (fig. 1). The Aahoaka 

Hill monitor well is at the western base of Aahoaka Hill, near 

the eastern coast of Kauai. The land near both of these wells 

was used for sugarcane cultivation through most of the 20th 

century. Miles of irrigation ditches and reservoirs modified the 

natural drainage pattern to bring water to sugarcane fields. The 

areas near the wells were used for sugarcane agriculture until 

the end of 2000, when the last of the sugarcane plantations in 

the Lihue Basin closed. Some of the former sugarcane fields in 

the Lihue Basin have been converted to other agricultural uses, 

but much of the land is presently unused.

The Upper Eleele Tank monitor well is on the south side 

of State Highway 50, about 1.5 mi east along the highway 

from the town of Eleele (fig. 1). The well is within the fenced 

compound of the concrete Upper Eleele water tank, which 

stores drinking water for the Kauai DOW. Sugarcane was 

grown on land near the water tank until the 1990s when that 

crop was replaced by coffee. Irrigation water diverted or 

Location of the Monitor Wells 3
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Figure 2. Geologic map showing location of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank monitor wells, Kauai, Hawaii (modified 

from Macdonald and others, 1960). 

4 Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells
pumped from streams and rivers in the region is carried in 

ditches and stored in reservoirs. A short distance to the north 

of the well site, the land surface drops steeply about 350 ft 

into the Hanapepe River Valley. On the valley floor, a mix of 

ground water and surface water is withdrawn from wells and 

galleries and pumped up the southern valley wall to ditches 

that irrigate the coffee fields surrounding the tank site. The 

nearest of these pumping facilities is at a horizontal distance of 

only 1,000 ft from the well site. 

Well Construction

Borings for the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and 

Upper Eleele Tank monitor wells were drilled by the rotary 

method using a tungsten-carbide tricone bit. A mixture 

of air, water, and foam was injected down through the 

hollow drill stem and circulated back up the space between 

the stem and the borehole to remove cuttings as drilling 

progressed. Construction began with drilling through the 

upper unconsolidated soil and weathered rock with a 17.5-in. 

bit. When a firm rock stratum was reached, a 12-in.(inside 

diameter) steel surface casing was placed in the borehole and 

the space between the casing and the borehole was filled with 

cement grout. When the cement grout was set, a smaller bit 

(7.875 to 10.625 in. diameter) was inserted inside the 12-in. 

casing to drill the remainder of the borehole. Throughout the 

drilling, samples of the cuttings were collected at 5-ft intervals 

and stored in labeled plastic sample bags.

A submersible pump was installed in each well for the 

purposes of conducting aquifer tests. After completion of 

the aquifer tests, an inner casing consisting of alternating 

sections of perforated and solid 4.5-in. PVC was installed, 

and the upper 20 to 25 ft of the space between the inner 

and outer casing was grouted with cement to hold the inner 

casing in place. A concrete pad with a brass elevation marker 

was built around the well. The elevation of the brass plate 

and top of the steel outer casing was measured by standard 

surveying methods. Aspects of the completed monitor wells 

are illustrated in figures 3 (Maalo Road), 4 (Aahoaka Hill) 

and 5 (Upper Eleele Tank). A detailed account of the well 

construction, excerpted primarily from the notes of the well 

driller, is given in Appendixes 1, 2, and 3.

Borehole Geology

The rock types penetrated during construction of the 

Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank monitor 

wells are illustrated in figure 6 and described in detail in 

Appendixes 4, 5, and 6. Macroscopic examination of cuttings 

is useful for describing the general borehole geology and 

distinguishing sedimentary layers from lava flows, but 

distinguishing between the Koloa Volcanics and the Waimea 

Canyon Basalt is difficult by visual examination of drill 

cuttings alone. Characteristics that help distinguish the two 

formations in outcrop and that have hydrologic significance, 

such as lava-flow thickness and unconformities, are lost when 

the rocks are pulverized by rotary drilling. However, the two 

Table 1. Summary of locality information and well-construction history for Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank monitor 

wells, Kauai, Hawaii

Maalo Road Aahoaka Hill Upper Eleele Tank

State well number 2-0123-01 2-0222-01 2-5534-06

Coordinates1 22 ̊01'26" N,

159 ̊23'12" W

22 ̊02'50" N, 

159 ̊22'37" W

21 ̊55'07" N,

159 ̊33'56" W

Ground elevation2 382.57 feet 312.83 feet 385.48 feet

Start date, borehole drilling 7/21/98 9/23/98 11/3/98

End date, borehole drilling 8/27/98 10/20/98 12/16/98

Borehole depth3 915 feet 804 feet 740 feet

Dates of aquifer testing 9/1/1998 to 9/15/1998 11/17/98 to 11/20/98

1/1/99 to 1/28/99

1/13/99 to 2/9/99

Well-completion date 8/6/02 8/6/02 8/1/02

1 Using North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83)

2 Elevation, relative to mean sea level, of brass plate on concrete pad of well

3 Below ground surface

Well Construction 5
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Figure 3. Construction (as-built) drawing of the Maalo Road monitor well (State well number 2-0123-01), Kauai, Hawaii.

6 Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells
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Figure 4. Construction (as-built) drawing of the Aahoaka Hill monitor well (State well number 2-0222-01), Kauai, Hawaii.

Well Construction 7
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Figure 5. Construction (as-built) drawing of the Upper Eleele Tank monitor well (State well number 02-5534-06), Kauai, Hawaii.

8 Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells
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Figure 6. Generalized borehole geology of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank monitor wells, Kauai, Hawaii.

Well Construction 9
formations have distinct chemistries that can be observed by 

geochemical analysis of the drill cuttings. The rocks of the 

Koloa Volcanics have lower SiO2 than the tholeiitic basalts, 

hawaiites, mugearites, and alkalic basalts of the Waimea 

Canyon Basalt (Macdonald and others, 1960; Reiners and 

others, 1998; Clague and Dalrymple, 1988). Major-element 

compositions of selected cuttings from the Maalo Road, 

Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank monitor wells were 

determined by x-ray fluorescence at the University of Hawaii 

School of Ocean Engineering Science and Technology (table 

2).

Maalo Road monitor well – The Maalo Road monitor 

well penetrated 915 ft, mostly through mafic lava flows, 

except for soil and gravel in the upper 200 ft, sedimentary 

layers from 625 to 660 ft and 790 to 804 ft, and a sandy 

layer (possibly volcanic ash) near the bottom (fig. 6). The 

geologic map of Macdonald and others (1960) indicates that 

the Koloa Volcanics is the formation at the surface at the site 

of the Maalo Road monitor well. Reiners and others (1998) 

report the presence of hawaiite, alkalic basalt, mugearite, 

and tholeiitic basalt in rocks samples from the nearby Pukaki 

Reservoir monitor well, 0.8 mi south of the Maalo Road 

monitor well, which indicates that the contact between the 

Waimea Canyon Basalt and the Koloa Volcanics is between 

730 and 900 ft below the surface in that area. Most of the 

cuttings from the Maalo Road monitor well selected for 

geochemical analysis have less than 46 weight percent 

SiO2 (table 2), which is similar to the composition of rocks 

identified as Koloa Volcanics by Macdonald and others (1960) 

and Reiners and others (1998). The deepest sample selected 

for geochemical analysis (from 855 to 860 ft) from the Maalo 

Road monitor well had 47.29 weight percent SiO2, which is 

similar to the Waimea Canyon Basalt compositions reported in 

Reiners and others (1998).

Aahoaka Hill monitor well – The Aahoaka Hill monitor 

well penetrated 804 ft mostly through mafic igneous rocks 

except for two sedimentary layers near the top. Secondary 

minerals filled vesicles and other voids in most of the igneous 

rocks, and many of the samples showed indications of 

alteration (fig. 6). Most of the igneous rocks were probably 

lava flows, but it is possible that the well may have penetrated 

dikes of the Waimea Canyon Basalt which are known to exist 

in Aahoaka Hill (Macdonald and others, 1960). The well lies 

in an area where the surface formation is the Koloa Volcanics, 

but nearby Aahoaka Hill is formed by Waimea Canyon Basalt 

(Macdonald and others, 1960). Geochemical analysis of the 

drill cuttings indicate that the mafic igneous rocks penetrated 

by the Aahoaka Hill monitor well, at least those below a depth 

Table 2. Major-element composition, in weight percent, of selected samples of drill cuttings from the Maalo Road (Maalo), Aahoaka Hill 

(Aahoaka), and Upper Eleele Tank (Eleele) monitor wells, Kauai, Hawaii

[analysis by x-ray fluorescence; LOI, loss on ignition]

Well

Depth

Interval

(feet)

SiO2 TiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 MnO MgO CaO Na2O K2O P2O5 SUM LOI Na2O + 

K2O

Maalo 350-355 45.90 2.42 11.27 14.06 0.17 13.66 9.42 1.91 0.84 0.40 100.04 2.33 2.75

Maalo 455-460 41.87 2.66 11.16 14.61 0.19 14.26 13.03 1.05 0.54 0.55 99.90 6.94 1.59

Maalo 555-560 42.23 2.65 11.21 14.72 0.18 14.13 12.38 1.38 0.46 0.57 99.91 4.95 1.84

Maalo 740-745 40.74 3.07 11.54 15.33 0.20 13.58 13.09 1.28 0.45 0.66 99.92 6.01 1.73

Maalo 855-860 47.29 3.22 15.70 12.72 0.19 5.16 10.10 3.24 1.20 0.70 99.50 4.69 4.44

Aahoaka 160-165 49.57 2.32 13.11 12.68 0.15 8.95 10.23 2.09 0.39 0.26 99.75 1.93 2.48

Aahoaka 250-255 49.27 2.38 12.33 12.90 0.17 10.78 9.64 1.71 0.28 0.24 99.68 4.18 1.99

Aahoaka 425-430 48.97 1.92 10.50 12.99 0.16 15.43 7.85 1.41 0.30 0.17 99.68 9.43 1.71

Aahoaka 545-550 50.74 2.31 12.72 12.53 0.16 8.82 9.78 2.17 0.28 0.22 99.70 3.24 2.45

Aahoaka 645-650 48.26 1.90 9.35 13.57 0.17 17.95 6.80 1.02 0.33 0.17 99.52 11.15 1.35

Aahoaka 795-800 48.95 2.22 11.51 12.73 0.16 12.99 8.47 2.01 0.36 0.23 99.61 7.54 2.37

Eleele 60-65 41.28 2.84 9.93 14.63 0.18 14.04 12.03 3.04 0.74 0.87 99.54 2.45 3.78

Eleele 95-100 42.00 2.33 9.73 13.47 0.18 16.28 11.42 2.89 0.69 0.66 99.65 1.77 3.58

Eleele 165-170 43.55 2.60 10.70 14.74 0.18 13.25 10.88 3.17 0.64 0.46 100.15 2.29 3.81

Eleele 340-345 42.15 2.78 11.21 14.78 0.19 13.49 11.94 2.16 0.76 0.57 100.01 2.13 2.92

Eleele 720-725 47.83 2.40 12.52 14.05 0.18 12.74 8.31 1.72 0.27 0.23 100.21 3.67 1.99

10 Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells
of 160 ft, have greater than 48 weight percent SiO2, which is 

similar to the tholeiitic rocks of the Waimea Canyon Basalt 

(Macdonald and others, 1960; Reiners and others, 1998).

Upper Eleele Tank monitor well – The Upper Eleele 

Tank monitor well penetrated 50 ft of surface soil and 

sediment, mafic lava flows from about 50 to 205 ft, then 

alternating layers of volcanic ash, lava flows, and scoria for 

the remainder of the well's 740-ft depth (fig. 6). The geologic 

map of Macdonald and others (1960) indicates that the Koloa 

Volcanics lies at the surface at the well site, but the underlying 

Waimea Canyon Basalt crops out in the precipice that drops 

into the Hanapepe River Valley just 200 ft north of the drill 

site. Samples of cuttings selected for geochemical analysis 

from depth intervals above 345 ft in this well had less than 44 

weight percent SiO2, which is similar to the low-SiO2 contents 

of rocks of the Koloa Volcanics. In contrast, the sample from 

720 to 725 ft had a SiO2 content of nearly 48 weight percent, 

which is similar to rocks of the Waimea Canyon Basalt.

Aquifer Tests

Each of the three monitor wells was tested to gather data 

that can be used to assess aquifer hydraulic properties. The 

tests were conducted after the borehole had been drilled to 

its final depth but before installation of the 4.5-in. PVC inner 

casing (fig. 7). The aquifer tests consisted of monitoring the 

change in water level (drawdown) induced by pumping the 

wells at measured discharge rates. The tests included (1) stepdrawdown tests, in which water was pumped from the well at 

different rates of discharge (steps), and (2) sustained-discharge 

tests, in which water was pumped from the borehole at a 

relatively steady discharge rate for several days. Temperature 

and specific conductance of the discharge water was measured 

on selected occasions.

In all of the aquifer tests, water was pumped from the 

wells using a submersible electric pump (fig. 7). Water levels 

were measured with an electric water-level measuring tape; 

in the test of the Upper Eleele Tank monitor well, a pressure 

transducer (vented to the surface to eliminate barometric 

variations) also was used. In most tests, the electric water-level 

measuring tape was inserted into a 0.75- to 1-in. PVC pipe 

(measuring tube) that was strapped to, and extended the length 

of, the pump's discharge pipe. The measuring tube shielded the 

electric water-level measuring tape from cascading water and 

turbulence in the borehole, thus increasing the precision of the 

water-level measurements. In the case where both a pressure 

transducer and electric water-level measuring tape were used, 

the pressure transducer was inserted into the measuring tube, 

and the electric water-level measuring tape was inserted into 

the annular space between the pump riser pipe and the open 

borehole. A water meter was installed at the top of the well to 

measure discharge rate, and in some tests, a parshall flume, 

a second meter, or a volumetric measurement was used as a 

backup in case the totalizing water meter failed. Discharge 

rate was controlled by a valve connected down-flow from the 

meter.

Maalo Road Monitor Well

The Maalo Road monitor well was tested for aquifer 

properties on September 1 to September 15, 1998. A 50-

horsepower submersible pump was set with its intake at an 

elevation of -47 ft in the borehole of the well. On September 

1, a step-drawdown test was conducted with five steps having 

discharge rates of 95 to 280 gal/min. Maximum drawdown 

during this test was 134.93 ft (fig. 8, Appendix 7). In the 

fifth step, however, the discharge rate decreased from an 

initial rate of 280 gal/min to 220 gal/min and the test was 

stopped because of a malfunctioning electrical generator. 

Water temperature ranged from 25.6 to 26.3 °C and specific 

conductance from 303 to 363 μS/cm during this test.

A sustained-discharge test was started on September 8, 

1998 at an initial discharge rate of 220 gal/min. The discharge 

rate slowly decreased over the duration of the test, probably 

as a result of rock debris clogging the pump intake (fig. 9, 

Appendix 8), and at 4,620 min of elapsed time, discharge had 

decreased to 174 gal/min. At 5,340 min of elapsed time (06:00 

on September 12, 1998), the generator was found stopped due 

to mechanical problems. It is not known at what time between 

4,620 and 5,340 min the generator failed. The generator was 

repaired and the test resumed at 14:00 on September 12 and 

continued at an average discharge rate of 176 gal/min until 

September 15, 1998. The maximum drawdown measured 

during the test was 138.25 ft. Water temperature ranged from 

25.8 to 27.4 °C and specific conductance gradually increased 

from 348 to 627 μS/cm during this test.

Aahoaka Hill Monitor Well

 The Aahoaka Hill monitor well was tested over two 

periods: (1) in November 1998 and (2) in January 1999. In 

the November 1998 tests, the rate of water-level decline was 

so rapid even at discharge rates of less than 100 gal/min the 

tests were halted prematurely to prevent the water level in the 

well from reaching the pump intake. Additionally, rock debris 

shed from the uncased borehole sometimes clogged the meter 

used to monitor discharge rate. Because of these difficulties, 

the Aahoaka Hill monitor well was tested again in January 

1999 with a smaller pump and backup methods for monitoring 

discharge rate in case the water meter failed.

Tests of November 1998 – The Aahoaka Hill monitor 

well was tested in November 1998 with a 6-in., 50-horsepower 

submersible pump with its intake at an elevation of -117 ft in 

the uncased borehole. On November 17, a step-drawdown test 

was conducted in which a discharge rate of 41 to 44 gal/min 

was maintained for 60 min for the first step of the test (fig. 10, 

Appendix 11). The discharge rate was increased to between 

86 and 88 gal/min for the second step, but after 7 min at this 

rate, the water meter became clogged with rock particles. 

Despite the meter malfunction, the test was continued at the 

Aquifer Tests 11
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Figure 7. Schematic drawing of the typical setup used for the aquifer tests at the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele 

Tank monitor wells, Kauai, Hawaii (actual setup may have differed slightly for each well).

12 Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells
higher rate for a full hour, but then was halted so the meter 

could be fixed. 

On November 18, a second step-drawdown test was 

conducted with the first step having a discharge rate of 46 to 

67 gal/min maintained for 60 min, followed by a second step 

of 118 to 129 gal/min (fig. 11, Appendix 10). However, after 

pumping at the second step for 20 min, the meter became 

clogged again. The meter was cleared by momentarily opening 

the valve to increase the pumping rate, but it was thereafter 

difficult to return the discharge rate to 118 gal/min. The pump 

was shut down after pumping 60 min of the second step. 

Water temperature ranged from 24.6 to 24.9 °C and specific 

conductance from 231 to 233 μS/cm during this test.

A sustained-discharge test was conducted on November 

19-20, 1998. Because the water meter showed a tendency 

to become clogged during the step-drawdown tests, a 

parshall flume was installed as a backup means of measuring 

discharge. During the first 60 min of the test, the discharge 

rates indicated by the parshall flume agreed within 3 percent 

of the flow indicated by the meter (Appendix 11). After 60 

min, the water meter became clogged, so for the remainder of 

the test, the pumping rate was monitored using the parshall 

flume. After 3 hours of pumping at a rate of 92 to 117 gal/min, 

the drawdown had exceeded 300 ft (fig. 12, Appendix 11). The 

pumping rate was reduced twice (once from 117 to 71 gal/min, 

then from 71 to 56 gal/min) to prevent the water level from 

reaching the pump. Even so, the trend in the drawdown curve 

indicated that the water level would reach the pump intake 

by about 2,000 min, so the pump was shut off at 1,924 min. 

Water temperature ranged from 24.6 to 25.6 °C and specific 

conductance from 212 to 238 μS/cm during this test.

Tests of January 1999 – The Aahoaka Hill monitor well 

was tested again with a smaller pump in January 1999. A 

10-horsepower submersible pump was set with its intake at an 

elevation of about 4 ft above sea level. As a backup method 

for discharge measurement in case the meter became clogged, 

a volumetric method (measuring the time required for the 

well discharge to fill a 5-gal container) was used. On January 

12, 1999, a step-drawdown test was conducted consisting of 

four 60-min steps with pumping rates ranging from 5 to 28 

gal/min. Maximum drawdown during this test was 31.80 ft 

(fig. 13 and Appendix 12). The entire step-drawdown test was 

completed without the meter clogging. Throughout the test, 

discharge measured by the volumetric method differed from 

that measured by the water meter by less than 9 percent.

A sustained-discharge test was conducted on January 

21-28, 1999 (fig. 14 and Appendix 13). The test began with 

a discharge rate of 20 to 23 gal/min, but after 1,035 min 

the discharge rate began to decline, probably as a result of 

clogging of the pump-intake screen with rock debris from 

the uncased borehole. By 1,515 min, the discharge rate had 

declined to 17 gal/min. At 2,029 min the meter was found 

stopped due to clogging, and the discharge rate was 13 

gal/min (as determined by the volumetric method). At 2,033 

min and 2,853 min the pump was shut off for 1 to 3 seconds 

and restarted in attempt to unclog the pump screen. This 

momentarily increased the pumping rate, but within a few 

minutes the pumping rate declined again. Prior to shutting 

down the pump at 10,151 min, the pumping rate had declined 

to only 9 gal/min. The maximum drawdown measured during 

this test was 37.71 ft at 1,515 min, when the discharge was 17 

gal/min. 

Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Well

The Upper Eleele Tank monitor well was tested for 

aquifer properties on January 13 to February 9, 1999. On 

January 13, 1999, two attempts at step-drawdown tests were 

made. In the first attempt, started at 12:10, the well discharge 

was maintained at 283 to 285 gal/min for 60 min (fig. 15, 

Appendix 14), then was halted because the pump could not 

provide a higher discharge rate. Water temperature ranged 

from 20.4 to 20.7 °C and specific conductance from 17,930 to 

18,170 μS/cm during this test. The water level in the well was 

allowed to recover for 110 min before the second step test was 

started.

In the second step test, the well discharge was maintained 

at 94 to 97 gal/min for 60 min, then increased to 175 to 

176 gal/min for another 60 min (fig. 16; Appendix 15). 

Water temperature ranged from 20.8 to 21.4 °C and specific 

conductance from 18,370 to 18,940 μS/cm during this test.

On January 28, 1999, a vented pressure transducer was 

installed in the measuring tube to monitor water levels in the 

well. The pressure-transducer collected 5 days of data prior to 

the start of the sustained-discharge test of February 2, 1999, 

and continued monitoring through the first 24 hours of the test 

(fig. 17). Water levels prior to the test show tidal oscillations 

as well as a general increase in water level of about 1 ft over 5 

days.

A sustained-discharge test was conducted from February 

2 to 9, 1999 (fig. 18, Appendix 16). The discharge rate was 

monitored with two meters installed in the discharge line in 

case one meter failed. The average discharge readings of the 

two meters ranged between 278 and 290 gal/min during the 

test. Water level in the well declined 1.10 ft in the first 455 

min of the test, but during the remainder of pumping, water 

levels both rose and fell, possibly reflecting pumping effects 

from a nearby well in Hanapepe Valley. Water temperature 

ranged from 20.2 to 21.4 °C and specific conductance from 

8,380 to 14,860 μS/cm during this test. Pressure-transducer 

readings showed substantially higher noise during the aquifer 

test than in the antecedent monitoring period, however, 

the concurrent pressure transducer and electric water-level 

measuring tape measurements generally agree (fig. 19).

Aquifer Tests 13
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Figure 8. Drawdown and discharge during the September 1, 1998 step-drawdown aquifer test at the Maalo 

Road monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii.

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Figure 9. Drawdown and discharge during the September 8 - 15, 1998 sustained-discharge aquifer test at the 

Maalo Road monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii. 

14 Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells
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Figure 10. Drawdown and discharge during the November 17, 1998 step-drawdown aquifer test at the Aahoaka Hill 

monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii. 

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Figure 11. Drawdown and discharge during the November 18, 1998 step-drawdown aquifer test at the Aahoaka 

Hill monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii.

Aquifer Tests 15
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Figure 12. Drawdown and discharge during the November 19-20, 1998 sustained-discharge aquifer test at the 

Aahoaka Hill monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii. 

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Figure 13. Drawdown and discharge during the January 12, 1999 step-drawdown aquifer test at the Aahoaka Hill 

monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii.

16 Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells
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Figure 14. Drawdown and discharge during the January 21-28, 1999 sustained-discharge aquifer test at the 

Aahoaka Hill monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii.

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Figure 15. Drawdown and discharge during the first step-drawdown aquifer test of January 13, 1999 at the Upper 

Eleele Tank monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii.

Aquifer Tests 17
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Figure 16. Drawdown and discharge during the second step-drawdown aquifer test of January 13, 1999 at the 

Upper Eleele Tank monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii.

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Figure 17. Water levels during the January 28 – February 3, 1999 pressure-transducer monitoring at the Upper 

Eleele Tank monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii.

18 Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells
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Figure 18. Drawdown and discharge during the February 2–9, 1999 sustained-discharge aquifer test of the Upper 

Eleele Tank monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii.

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Figure 19. Drawdown measured by electric tape and by pressure transducer during the February 2-9, 1999 

sustained-discharge aquifer test, at the Upper Eleele Tank monitor well, Kauai, Hawaii.

Aquifer Tests 19
Summary

The Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank 

monitor wells were constructed between July 1988 and August 

2002 as part of a program of exploratory drilling, aquifer 

testing, and hydrologic analysis on Kauai. The borings for 

these wells were made by rotary drilling, and samples of drill 

cuttings were examined and tested to determine the geology. 

After drilling the first 100 to 200 ft of each borehole with a 

17.5-in. diameter bit, a solid steel casing was installed and 

grouted in place, and the remainder of the borehole was drilled 

with a smaller diameter bit inserted into the steel casing. 

When the borehole was drilled to its final depth, a submersible 

pump was installed for aquifer tests. Aquifer tests included 

step-drawdown tests and sustained-discharge tests. After the 

aquifer tests, an inner casing of alternating sections of slotted 

and solid 4.5-in. PVC was installed.

The 915-ft-deep Maalo Road monitor well is in the Lihue 

Basin. The well penetrated mafic lava flows for most of its 

depth. Most of the cuttings selected for chemical analysis 

have compositions similar to the rocks of the Koloa Volcanics, 

but the deepest sample analyzed had a composition similar to 

the Waimea Canyon Basalt. Aquifer tests at this well included 

a step-drawdown and a 7-day sustained-discharge test. 

Water temperature ranged from 25.6 to 27.4 °C and specific 

conductance ranged from 303 to 627 μS/cm during these 

tests. The sustained-discharge aquifer test had problems with 

clogging of the pump and generator failure. Discharge rate 

ranged from 174 to 220 gal/min and maximum drawdown was 

138.25 ft during the sustained discharge test.

The 804-ft-deep Aahoaka Hill monitor well is at the 

western base of Aahoaka Hill, in the Lihue Basin. The well 

penetrated mostly mafic lava flows and possibly dikes. Sample 

cuttings selected for chemical analysis had a composition 

similar to the Waimea Canyon Basalt. The well was initially 

tested with a 50-horespower pump but the drawdown rate 

was so high (more than 300 ft after only 3 hours at a rate of 

92 to 117 gal/min) that the discharge rate was reduced twice, 

and the test eventually halted prematurely. Water temperature 

ranged from 24.6 to 25.6 °C and specific conductance from 

212 to 238 μS/cm during the tests using the 50-horsepower 

pump. The well was retested in with a 10-horsepower pump. 

The retesting included a 7-day sustained-discharge test which 

started with a discharge rate of 20 to 23 gal/min but declined 

to as low as 8 gal/min as the pump intake became clogged. 

The maximum drawdown measured during this test was 37.71 

ft at 1,515 min, when the discharge was 17 gal/min.

The 740-ft deep Upper Eleele Tank monitor well is a 

short distance from a precipice that drops 350 ft into the 

Hanapepe River Valley in southern Kauai. The well penetrated 

soil, sediment, lava flows, volcanic ash, and scoria. Selected 

cuttings from depth intervals above 345 ft in this well had 

compositions similar to the Koloa Volcanics, but a sample 

from 720 to 725 ft had a composition similar to rocks of the 

Waimea Canyon Basalt. During a 7-day aquifer test with a 

sustained discharge of between 278.5 and 290 gal/min, most 

of the drawdown of 1.10 ft occurred in the first 455 min 

of the test; thereafter, water levels fluctuated probably as a 

result of pumping influence from a nearby well in Hanapepe 

Valley. Water temperature ranged from 20.2 to 21.4 °C and 

specific conductance from 8,380 to 18,940 μS/cm during the 

step-drawdown and sustained-discharge tests. Water levels 

monitored in the well 5 days prior to the aquifer test show 

tidal oscillations as well as a gradual increase in water level of 

about 1 ft.

Literature Cited

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of alkalic post-shield and rejuvenated stage lava from 

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v. 99, p. 202–218.

Giambelluca, T.W., Nullet, M.A., and Schroeder, T.A., 1986, 

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Development Report R76, 267 p.

Gingerich, S.B., 1999, Estimating transmissivity and storage 

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Kauai, Hawaii: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources 

Investigations Report 99-4066, 33 p.

Gingerich, S.B., and Izuka, S. K., 1997a, Construction, 

geologic log, and aquifer test of the Northwest Kilohana 

monitor well (State well 2-0126-01), Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii: 

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 97-40, 20 p.

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geologic log, and aquifer tests of the Puakukui Springs 

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Izuka, S. K., and Gingerich, S.B., 1997a, Construction, 

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2- 0121-01), Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii: U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report 97-38, 14 p.

20 Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells
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