#erosion

Maui County is considering returning some of the soil runoff from last month’s flooding back to landowners who lost large swaths of property so they can rebuild.

The Hyatt Regency Maui says it needs to shore up the beach after last month’s Kona storm swept away much of the sand, but community members say it will lead to more beach loss.

The prolonged kona storm continues to impact Maui County with downed trees, flooding, erosion and downed power lines. Here’s a look at some of the photos and videos sent in from around the island.

Eighteen of approximately 70 coconut trees at Baldwin Beach Park in Pāʻia were removed this past week after coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion caused the gradual decline and death of the trees closest to the shoreline, according to the County of Maui arborist and the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Pāʻia Youth & Cultural Center’s plan to demolish its aging shoreline facility and rebuild mauka as part of a climate-resilient “managed retreat” has entered a new phase with the release of a draft environmental assessment, posted in the state’s Dec. 8 Environmental Notice.​

The County of Maui Planning Department has issued a Request for Proposals for professional services to assess and provide recommendations on a potential update to the Maui Island Special Management Area Boundary.

A draft environmental assessment for a proposed shoreline stabilization project in West Maui is open for public comment, with a deadline of Oct. 23. The proposed project is located makai of three oceanfront homes at 4855, 4869 and 4871 Lower Honoapi‘ilani Road in Kahana. The project aims to stabilize a bluff fronting the shoreline. According […]

The one-lane closure will be near mile marker 14 and is scheduled for two nights Tuesday, Sept. 23 and Wednesday, Sept. 24. Work will begin both nights at 8:30 p.m. and will last until 3:30 the next morning, with the last closure ending on Thursday, Sept. 25.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation is providing notice of its intent to declare a traffic emergency zone on Kamehameha V Highway (Route 450) at mile post 18.7 in the vicinity of Waialua Stream on Molokaʻi, for emergency road repairs.

By a narrow 4-3 vote, the Board of Land and Natural Resources rejected a request last week from Hololani Resort apartment owners seeking an amendment to 2018 board action for a sheet pile and rock revetment to protect the property from shoreline erosion.

“It’s important because it is connected to a much larger set of lands that go all the way to the summit (of the West Maui Mountains),” said Scott Fretz, the Maui branch manager of DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife. “Fires often start at those mauka lands and come down in the direction toward the highway. And often they start at the highway and go up this parcel into the mauka lands. So, that connectivity is important.”

The Nature Conservancy first purchased statewide coral reef insurance in 2022. The new policy doubles the area covered – as well as the minimum payout following a damaging hurricane or tropical storm.

During his visit, US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg provided updates on key infrastructure projects, including critical investments in the Honoapiʻilani Highway. He visited West Maui as part of the administrationʻs efforts to reaffirm its commitment to wildfire recovery in Lahaina.

A group of survivors, neighbors, landowners and experts joined forces to rehabilitate Kula’s burned lands, aiming to stabilize, protect, and maintain the area to prevent further erosion.

Shoreline advocates blocked heavy machinery at Kā’anapali Beach Tuesday, amid ongoing concerns over how sea level rise and continued beach erosion is handled.

When explaining the significance of the name “Waiahiokole,” Keʻeaumoku Kapu, CEO of Aha Moku said “kole” means raw, and “waiahi” talks about the turbulence during the time of the shark birthing process. In addition to the literal translation, Kapu said scholars that he reached out to told him it was also named after a prominent chief that lived in the area. Dr. Janet Six, principal archaeologist for the County of Maui said, that while “Puamana definitely is a Hawaiian word–it just is one that was assigned to a large plantation house in the 1920s.” She explained that the area is historically a large grave site.

“The updated SMA and Shoreline Rules are more balanced and flexible for homeowners, and incorporate the best available science on sea level rise to bolster coastal resilience,” said Planning Director Kathleen Ross Aoki.

As Maui rings in the new year, we take a moment to reflect on 2022–a year that brought highs and lows, challenges and triumphs, and shed light on erosion and the economy. Here are Maui Now’s top 22 stories of 2022…

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation will host two virtual and one in-person public informational meetings, to discuss the Honoapiʻilani Highway Improvement project, from Pāpalaua Beach Park to Launiupoko.

The project seeks a proactive and holistic approach to manage worsening coastal erosion at Māʻalaea Bay Beach by exploring the feasibility of coastal resilience strategies, including erosion mitigation options and relocation of threatened structures. The project area spans from Māʻalaea Harbor to Haycraft Park.