Cleanup underway after heavy rain, runoff turn Ala Wai harbor into dump site

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – State crews and volunteers are clearing debris from the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor after the weekend’s heavy rains triggered runoff from Makiki, Palolo and Manoa streams.
Those waterways have been littered with illegally dumped items, such as appliances and landscaping waste ― all of which are now collecting at the harbor, creating a hazard for swimmers, surfers and boaters.
“There’s been a bunch of debris in the harbor that’s been really, really bad for a little while, and I’ve been constantly trying to clean it up. But then after this rain, surplus amounts of it came out of the river and it definitely creates some obstacles getting in and out of the channel,” said boat captain Daniel Kalahele.
Kalahele said he and fellow boaters have to “navigate in and around larger floating debris, like logs and tree stumps. There was a couch the other day. It definitely creates a lot of turmoil there, especially if there is oncoming traffic or boaters coming the opposite direction.”
The harbor falls under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, but the state’s boating division said in a news release that the debris is not their issue and that for 25 years, it’s been trying to get other agencies to collect all this trash before it reaches the harbor.
Boaters don’t care who’s in charge. They just wish someone would get it done.
“It’s kind of a gray area where this exists because it’s right at the mouth of the Ala Wai, so the river is one department and then the harbor is another and the back and forth about whose job it is to clean it up,” Kalahele said.
Residents reported seeing homeless camps being swept away during Saturday’s rainfall. HFD rescued two people in the water near the Kaimuki bridge.
Honolulu’s mayor said city crews have been actively sweeping people from sites along streams and brides
“There are two things we are dealing with — we got a homeless challenge and we also got a weather challenge,” Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said.
Before Saturday’s rainfall, the city said it opened the Kuliouou, Niu and Muliwai stream mouths in anticipation of heavy flows and reduce flooding.
A full statement reading:
Numerous storm drain inlet protectors were removed on Saturday to minimize ponding and several storm drain crews were mobilized to clear plugged storm drains causing ponding in the street.
On Monday, we had crews out at Kapakahi (Kahala Beach) removing debris and at the Woodlawn Bridge (Manoa) where we received reports of tree branches and vegetation blocking the stream. We’re continuing to assess and will resume maintenance work (cutting overgrowth) in Moanalua Stream on Wednesday.
At the Ala Wai, the state said a contractor plans to bring in heavy machinery Tuesday to remove debris.
Ray Machado, a fishing boat deckhand, said the consequences are costly. “If we hit a log and it bends a prop, that’s going to cost maybe $20,000 because the boat’s got to come out of the water. The prop is gonna cost $10,000. I think it’s $400, $500 a day to be on the dry dock so that’s an expensive oops.”
Sof Hanson, a Waikiki Yacht Club member, said he’s been working with club employees to clear the water of larger pieces of debris.
“We started yesterday, but the current was really strong at the Ala Wai and so we just couldn’t get anything out,” he said. “We were just trying to pull some of the debris out, and then there’s some some garbage, obviously, washing machines. We’re going to… throw in our dumpster.”
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.