Dredging Waikiki, Yay or Nay?

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Dredging Waikiki, Yay or Nay?

Postby Guest » Thu Sep 02, 2004 11:08 pm

A group of surfers raised questions last night about the state's plans for recycling sand from offshore back onto Kuhio Beach.

"Surf is a big deal for us beach boys as well as for people who come to Waikiki," said Clyde Aikau, of C & K Beach Services. "I just hope your project doesn't ruin the surf."

The $500,000 project is to pump 10,000 cubic yards of sand -- the equivalent of 1,000 dump-truck loads -- onto the beach between the Kapahulu storm drain and the Waikiki Beach Center and police substation during the month of October.

According to studies, Waikiki erodes about a foot a year, on average, and Kuhio Beach has not had a major replenishment in 32 years, said Dolan Eversole, a coastal geologist managing the project for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, during an informational meeting attended by several dozen surfers and others at Waikiki Elementary School.

Even though the amount of sand to be added will not make a huge visual difference, it is necessary to provide better access to the beach, he said.

"This is not a permanent fix. It's a temporary measure -- what I might call an emergency measure -- that will give us a couple of years, if that," Eversole said.

If successful, the pump-from-offshore method of beach replenishment could be repeated at other state beaches that are eroding.

"We have more sand than we've ever had in the history of Waikiki," insisted surfer and former beach boy George Downing, a spokesman for Save Our Surf.

Downing said his organization is withdrawing support for the project unless it is altered so sand is not put by the Waikiki Police Substation.

He said he is worried that the sand washing back off the beach there will change surf breaks.

Rocky Iaukea, a beach boy at Kuhio Beach, was concerned about what the project might do to the walls that create the two swimming basins at the beach.

The current project just deals with putting sand on the beach, not with the crib walls, said Sam Lemmo, state coastal lands manager.

Iaukea said he is pleased that putting sand onto the beach is planned for the evening hours. "That would be so much nicer," he said.

One man at the meeting, who refused to give his name, said he does not support it.

"You're blowing my money as a resident," he said. "You're spending it in ways that is counterproductive. ... I remember when Waikiki was rocks. Sand did not draw tourists to Hawaii; it was the aloha spirit."

Though the contract for the work has not been awarded, the sole bidder for it is American Marine, the same company that dredged the Ala Wai Canal last year.



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Cut and paste job from Star Bulletin


I am no expert in this field, but wouldn't sucking the sand off the reef actually improve the breaks? The sand that has been eroding has never been dredged in over 30 years(like the Ala Wai). I hear stories on how much better Queen's and such broke back then. The sand has filled in the reef crevices and so forth making the breaks even more mellow. Like I said, I am no expert. :?

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Haoleboy
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Postby Haoleboy » Fri Sep 03, 2004 9:35 am

Maybe they should do one of those sand dredging things they do at places like Kirra....we could have our very own point break!!
(I have no idea what I'm talking about.. :D )
Owoooooooo!!

Thebigz0
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2004 11:35 pm

Postby Thebigz0 » Fri Sep 03, 2004 4:11 pm

They would be dredging outside of where the breaks are. Over time it would just put more sand over the reef. Oh well.

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laks
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Postby laks » Fri Sep 03, 2004 10:24 pm

i like the kirra idea 8)

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bruddahT
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Location: Flatigo

Postby bruddahT » Sat Sep 04, 2004 2:34 am

My experience is that dredging always screws up a break. Mother nature always has a way of compensating for natural beach erosion. Unfortunately living in South Florida we know all too well how little dredging actually accomplishes in the way of beach restoration and how greatly it damages reefs and alters surf breaks. Local government is always dredging every couple of years and each hurricane season swells come in and completely remove evrything that they just dredged. If army crop of engineers would get there head out of their okoles and do a real in depth study on the use of rock groins and artificial reefs to help stabilize sand movement, it would actualy create better surf breaks as well as stabilize beach erosion. I come home to Hawaii every year and i would not like to see some huge dredging barge off the beautiful waters of waikiki only to totally screw up all the best breaks. 8)
When ya dumb, ya gotta be tough!

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bruddahT
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Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2004 2:22 am
Location: Flatigo

DREDGING

Postby bruddahT » Sun Sep 05, 2004 3:14 am

here are some pictures to verify waht I wrote earlier about dredging in south florida and the effect it has on reefs. :x

http://iwave.rsmas.miami.edu/surf/galle ... php?gal=21
When ya dumb, ya gotta be tough!

LGREANZ
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Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2004 1:11 pm

Postby LGREANZ » Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:49 am

People this project has one thing in its sights the TOURIST.
Adding sand to Waikiki would just cover the reefs and eliminate the surf breaks potential. I've been told from old local surfers who don't surf anymore due to the crowds that before Hawaii Kai was developed it was a marsh land , they filled it in with sand and all the run off silt and sand covered the reefs off of Hawaii Kai and Aina Haina ruining their surf breaks. Theses guys said it used to pump out there in the summer time, North Shore Style Juice and beautiful natural reef setups were destroyed.

Surfers are the last thing on the city of Honolulu mind all they care about is the tourist economy and a nicer beach to attract more toursit.

Flarob

Dreging sucks

Postby Flarob » Tue Sep 07, 2004 4:02 am

Its a horrible idea ,living here in central florida it happens every couple years.It sets up a good break for first month or so till a big messy swell comes lik a hurricane or a typhoon and game over sand washes up on shore and gets pushed off those reefs lik nothing.Its a waste of money and they could never ruin all thoe breaks along the south shore ,wouldnt that be a bitch.Could you imagine people in hawaii taking surf trips omg that would be crazy.Rob

solor

Postby solor » Wed Sep 29, 2004 1:29 pm

ahhhhh...

i think it would be great!!!!

just like the mall at sharks cove, this would greatly improve our economy. the sand would create more jobs, so less iceheads.

yeah, everyone says TOWN SUCKS, SO WHY THE CONCERN? it ain't like a mall is being built over there or anything.

damn people, if it wasn't for the tourists we wouldn't have an economy... never mind that hawaii was built by immigrants from china, phillipines, and japan and the sugar/pineapple industry. tourism is KEY.

we've alredy proved hawaii cannot survive on agriculture, technologies, and anything else that requires an education. the only kinds of jobs our folks can handle is tourism and construction.

so please, dredge the shit out of everything, and build malls every 100 feet apart from each other. they should dredge pipeline, as it is too close to the beach... they should dredge sunset, and make it mo' shallow like pipe.

hell, maybe we can build a bridge to califrisco?

Guest

Postby Guest » Wed Sep 29, 2004 8:19 pm

3 steps to solving all of hawaii problems.

1. Legalize Marijuana , tourism would increse ten fold.

2. Legalize offshore gambling, shit everyone in hawaii goes to vegas to lose their money anywaymight as well keep in the state.

3. Fish farming.


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