Proposed Kā‘anapali Beach Restoration and Berm Enhancement Project

Puʻu Kekaʻa “Black Rock”. File photo by Wendy Osher.

The DLNR Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands hosts an informational meeting regarding a sand replenishment project at Maui’s Kāʻanapali Beach.

The beach has suffered chronic erosion and extreme seasonal erosion over the previous four decades, according to the department.  OCCL officials say sand loss is expected to continue and even accelerate with sea level rise.

The State of Hawaiʻi and the Kāʻanapali Operations Association, Inc. have developed a plan to ensure the long-term viability of this sandy coastal resource, which includes both beach restoration and berm enhancement.

Beach restoration is proposed for the section of beach between Hanakaʻōʻō Beach Park and Hanakaʻōʻō Point and beach berm enhancement is proposed for the section of beach between Hanakaʻōʻō Point and Puʻu Kekaʻa.

The draft Environmental Impact Statement for this project was published in the Office of Environmental Quality Control’s Environmental Bulletin on Aug. 23, 2020 and comments are currently being solicited for the draft EIS until Oct. 7, 2020.

The informational meeting will begin at 2 p.m. on Sept. 24, 2020. The webinar link is: https://zoom.us/j/91922314975