KAWEHEWEHE BEACH RESTORATION PILOT PROJECT

The Waikīkī Beach Special Improvement District Association (WBSIDA) is working with local government and stakeholders in response to severe and continued coastal erosion of Kawehewehe Beach in the Halekulani Beach sector of Waikīkī Beach on the south shore of O’ahu. Recent structural failure of the City and County of Honolulu Public Beach Right of Way between the Outrigger Reef and Halekulani hotels (ROW #141A) has required the closure of this important public access by the City and County of Honolulu (Figure 1). In response, a pilot demonstration project for beach restoration is under development. The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is developing a project to place nearshore sand on Kawehewehe beach, fronting the Outrigger reef and Halekulani hotels as a temporary measure.  

The project goal is to demonstrate an innovative small-scale dredging system for shallow water operation and beach, harbor and navigation channel maintenance and sand back-passing projects statewide. This project would serve as a pilot demonstration for the equipment and technique. The objective of the proposed project is to provide an interim beach to mitigate the severe beach loss and damage to public walkways in this area and so that it can provide its intended recreational and aesthetic benefits, facilitate lateral access along the shore, and provide a first line of defense to the back-shore in the event of storm wave attack. If successful this project could be helpful in developing similar small-scale dredging and beach restoration projects around the state.

PROJECT DETAILS:

Island:  Oʻahu
District: Honolulu
Location: Kawehewehe Beach, Waikiki, Oahu
Proposing Agency: Department of Land and Natural Resources, State of Hawaiʻi. 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 131. Honolulu, HI 96813
Consultant: Sea Engineering, Inc. Scott Sullivan, President.
PROJECT PERMIT NUMBER: Pending
End of Public Comment Period on Draft EA:   Pending
Contact Info: (808) 587-0049

Project Status (April, 2024)

• Construction Start Date: Pending

• Estimated Construction Completion: Pending

  Downloadable Files:

• Project Fact Sheet (Frequently Asked Questions)