Hawaiian Beaches Disappearing

[WalnutBaron]

Interesting but alarming article about major beach erosion on Oahu, Kauai, and Maui.

 

[easyrider]

Hawaii is just plain stupid for letting the erosion take these beaches as if there isn't any thing that can be done. They could easily use A-Jacks , riprap and sand to reclaim all of these areas but because of environmental concerns they won't. I wonder if these concerns actually ever become a reality. One thing for certain, as the beach goes so dose beach front accommodations which is where tourist like to hang out.

Bill

 

[pspercy]

Beaches come and go, look how Kaanapali beach changes during the year.

 

[geist1223]

Hawaii is just plain stupid for letting the erosion take these beaches as if there isn't any thing that can be done. They could easily use A-Jacks , riprap and sand to reclaim all of these areas but because of environmental concerns they won't. I wonder if these concerns actually ever become a reality. One thing for certain, as the beach goes so dose beach front accommodations which is where tourist like to hang out.

Bill

Let the Beach go. Do not fight Mother Nature.

 

[mjm1]

During our stay at Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club in October we noticed the significantly reduced beach. I seem to recall a discussion about the restoration of the beach, but it was delayed. Does anyone have any insights about it?

Best regards.

Mike

 

[bogey21]

Whe pays for beach restoration, property owners or taxpayers...

George

 

[Luanne]

Whe pays for beach restoration, property owners or taxpayers...

George

And if the beach isn't on a property? Since all beaches on Hawaii are public I wouldn't think property owners would be liable.

 

[easyrider]

All of the beaches are public property in Hawaii with very few exceptions. When the beach erodes and the property setback no longer meets building code the property owners should be able to protect their property but the permit process required takes years and in the meantime the rest of the property erodes. Too many regulations, imo. Maybe Hawaii should do another comprehensive study of the last comprehensive study that will lead to another comprehensive study and by then the problem might disappear into the Pacific, lol.

Bill

 

[TXTortoise]

During our stay at Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club in October we noticed the significantly reduced beach. I seem to recall a discussion about the restoration of the beach, but it was delayed. Does anyone have any insights about it?
Mike

The Ka'anapali beach restoration plan was original targeted for 2018, got pushed to 2019 and now has no firm date.

https://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/maui-kaanapali-beach-restoration.289018/

FWIW, the plan itself with photos of the beach over years is really pretty interesting. Definitely needs to be addressed soon.

 

[artringwald]

The beach at Diamond Resort's Ka'anapali Beach Club comes and goes during the year, but during the past 5-10 years, erosion has been eating away at the shore line. It's lost about 20'-30' feet between the sidewalk and the shore line. They installed large, sand filled tubes as a temporary fix, but waves recently broke through one of those. If they don't come up with a permanent fix soon, the pool and the building itself will be threatened. I'd be really nervous if I owned there.

 

[Tamaradarann]

All of the beaches are public property in Hawaii with very few exceptions. When the beach erodes and the property setback no longer meets building code the property owners should be able to protect their property but the permit process required takes years and in the meantime the rest of the property erodes. Too many regulations, imo. Maybe Hawaii should do another comprehensive study of the last comprehensive study that will lead to another comprehensive study and by then the problem might disappear into the Pacific, lol.

Bill

The Beach erosion issue is not fiction and to date Hawaii has not done anything about it in Waikiki, the main tourist economic engine of Hawaii. My husband walks the beach as much as possible from the Hilton Hawaiian Village to the Duke's Statue every morning. He says that over the years the small beach in front of the Beach House and Shore Bird Restaurants as well as the small beach area in front of the Halekulani Hotel have deteriorated so that they are barely still a place to sit. Furthermore, the sand around the steps from the beach area to the walkway adjacent to the Sheraton infinity pool have washed away to the point that the steps have been closed. He has changed his walking route from the path that goes from the Hilton Hawaiian Village to the Waikiki Shore Hotel up to Kalia through the Sheraton Hotel Lobby and Family Pool to the Steps between in Sheraton Hotel and Royal Hawaiian Hotel to continue his beach walk. There should be some major concerns from the owners of the Waikiki Shore, Outrigger Waikiki, Halekulani, and Sheraton since the Ocean is no their door step.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Our wall at Hono Koa had completely eroded enough to cause a sinkhole in the grass, which caused the deck that is oceanfront to start sinking into the mud. The wall is currently getting replaced, and they are replacing the wall with a huge amount of cement, basically a cement box. This is what happens when the water gets wild and rough, and I am sure the wall was never meant to hold back water forever. I am sure this was a matter of delayed maintenance, but the condo buildings on both sides of Hono Koa are having some similar issues, and one doesn't have any retaining wall. So water is coming up higher than ever over their sand and rock, but they blame Hono Koa for that. I don't see how, but I am not an engineer.

 

[artringwald]

The Beach erosion issue is not fiction and to date Hawaii has not done anything about it in Waikiki, the main tourist economic engine of Hawaii. My husband walks the beach as much as possible from the Hilton Hawaiian Village to the Duke's Statue every morning. He says that over the years the small beach in front of the Beach House and Shore Bird Restaurants as well as the small beach area in front of the Halekulani Hotel have deteriorated so that they are barely still a place to sit. Furthermore, the sand around the steps from the beach area to the walkway adjacent to the Sheraton infinity pool have washed away to the point that the steps have been closed. He has changed his walking route from the path that goes from the Hilton Hawaiian Village to the Waikiki Shore Hotel up to Kalia through the Sheraton Hotel Lobby and Family Pool to the Steps between in Sheraton Hotel and Royal Hawaiian Hotel to continue his beach walk. There should be some major concerns from the owners of the Waikiki Shore, Outrigger Waikiki, Halekulani, and Sheraton since the Ocean is no their door step.

They did do something about it, but it didn't last very long. In 2012 Waikiki did a very expensive sand reclamation project. They pumped sand from a barge off shore and spread it around the Waikiki beaches.

 

[amycurl]

Beaches are moving sand....always. Those that purchase property on/very close to moving sand should accept the risks of that. (I'm looking at you, OBX owners, as well as those in Hawaii.) Beaches and sand are *designed* to move. Trying to force it to do anything else is human folly. And doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is one definition of insanity (looking at you, Highway 12 rebuilders, as well as beach replenishment projects.)

And, yes, sea walls tend to just redirect the power of the ocean to adjoining areas, which is why some communities now ban them (South Carolina's DHEC bans them.) Spreads and shares the risk of owning ocean-front property. Here's a recent story of five adjoining property owners on HHI that built one (having found a legal loophole,) and now they're being sued and fined all over the place. (Plus, the story has a good explanation of why sea walls aren't really that great of an idea.) https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/article237316754.html

 

[Tamaradarann]

Beaches are moving sand....always. Those that purchase property on/very close to moving sand should accept the risks of that. (I'm looking at you, OBX owners, as well as those in Hawaii.) Beaches and sand are *designed* to move. Trying to force it to do anything else is human folly. And doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is one definition of insanity (looking at you, Highway 12 rebuilders, as well as beach replenishment projects.)

And, yes, sea walls tend to just redirect the power of the ocean to adjoining areas, which is why some communities now ban them (South Carolina's DHEC bans them.) Spreads and shares the risk of owning ocean-front property. Here's a recent story of five adjoining property owners on HHI that built one (having found a legal loophole,) and now they're being sued and fined all over the place. (Plus, the story has a good explanation of why sea walls aren't really that great of an idea.) https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/article237316754.html

They did do something about it, but it didn't last very long. In 2012 Waikiki did a very expensive sand reclamation project. They pumped sand from a barge off shore and spread it around the Waikiki beaches.

I know all about the sand reclamation project. They first were blowing the sand onto the beach. They completed about 10 feet of beach a day and the sand was in the air adjacent to beach goers laying on the sand. They trucked the sand in AND spread it and completed the project in about 4 days since they could do hundreds of feet a day.

 

[Rjbeach2003]

Beaches are affected by human activity. On the Oregon Coast where I live there are constant battles between property owners who built close to beaches on unstable ground and the county and state. Those landowners want to put in rip rap, walls etc. thinking it will protect their property, but in doing so cause damage to adjacent property. There was and entire development, Bayocean disappeared.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayocean,_Oregon

 

[easyrider]

The best way to reclaim ocean shorelines is to place structure down before placing sand down. I watch resorts in Mexico use A-Jacks , riprap and sand to reclaim ocean shorelines. It looks very nice.

Bill

 

[artringwald]

High tides are coming soon.

https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/p...ing-possible-whether-it-rains-or-not#stream/0

Thanksgiving Flooding Possible, Whether it Rains or Not
Meanwhile, nobody stops the tides! We have a very high tide coming this week. NOAA estimates the tides at 2.49 to 2.45 feet November 26-28, 2019. Actual water heights are affected by various anomalies, so scientists need to factor in sea level rise and other warm water ocean systems that cause tides to be above predictions.

“Right on Thanksgiving actually we have a predicted very high tide, extraordinarily high,” says Eversole. It’s a tide that will likely get to the height of a King Tide, but technically does not fit the definition. “Our King Tides are actually going to be December and January.”

Eversole says November 26-28, today through Thursday, Hawai‘i can expect low areas to flood, like basements and parking garages below sea level. Waikīkī beach will probably be inundated. And remember, we don’t need rain to flood anymore---water can and does rise through the storm drains. Some underground repairs may have to wait for low tide.

“Regardless of how it’s happening or why it’s happening,” says Eversole, “When we see these elevated water levels, it’s also, and more importantly , a glimpse of the future. Let’s say 30 or 40 years from now, that’s what we’re going to be dealing with on a daily basis.”

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Beaches form when there is a supply of sand to supply the beach. Beaches grow when the supply of sand exceeds the rate at which the sand is carried away by the ocean. As beaches grow, the increasing exposure to waves and currents increases the erosion rate, and the beach is stable when the sand supply matches the erosion rate.

Beaches grow and shrink as the supply of sand and the erosion rate increase and diminish. Thus beaches don't grow or shrink with ocean level. They only grow or shrink as ocean level affects sand supply and erosion. And if the sand supply remains, loss of a beach at one specific location is likely offset by beach expansion at a different location. Because the sand will find a home somewhere.

 

[jehb2]

My husband walks the beach as much as possible from the Hilton Hawaiian Village to the Duke's Statue every morning...He has changed his walking route...

This was one of my favorite jogging routes. Now there are parts where I would have to walk like in a foot of water or go all the way around back to the street. I just go in the opposite direction now and run around Al Moana beach park.

 

[Tamaradarann]

This was one of my favorite jogging routes. Now there are parts where I would have to walk like in a foot of water or go all the way around back to the street. I just go in the opposite direction now and run around Al Moana beach park.

He knows about the detours you need to take to walk from the HHV to the Duke's Statue now, but the short walk on the Kalia Road sidewalk and through the Sheraton is preferable to the walk on the Ala Moana Boulevard sidewalk over the bridge to the Ala Moana Beach Park. Furthermore, some days in the afternoon or early evening we do the walk on the Ala Moana Boulevard sidewalk over the bridge to the Ala Moana Center for shopping at Target, Walmart, Sam's, and Foodland.

 

[flindberg]

Beaches are moving sand....always. Those that build...
HMM... BUILDING A HOUSE ON SAND... Yes, it has a FAMILIAR RING...