Tuesday, March 20, 2012

APOLOGIES TO TOURISTS: WAIKIKI BEACH RESTORATION, BROWN WATER & POT HOLES


USA TODAY carried an article on the $2.3 million Waikiki beach restoration project. 

The goal is to widen the beach with off-shore sand by about 37 feet.  The area involved stretches from the Duke Kahanamoku statue at Kuhio beach past the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.  According to KHON2:  “… [T]hat means three trucks hauling sand 7 a.m. to noon, seven days a week to April 14.”  


To quote USA TODAY: 

“The area's shoreline is eroding 1 to 2 feet per year, letting water rush into seawalls and a hotel restaurant bar during south shore swells and peak high tide.

 View from the pier.

I think this is the ship that's collecting the sand for the beach

“The state used a similar method to replenish the sand at Kuhio Beach — a stretch of Waikiki next to the current target area — in 2006, reports the Associated Press. That effort pumped only 10,000 cubic yards of sand, or less than half of the current proposal.”


 
Mountains of gray sand.
These pictures were taken quite a few weeks ago before the storm.

AFTER THE STORM:
Some pictures of the Northshore
Run-off turned blue waters brown
  
Chinaman Hat in brown water
 I did not take pictures of any pot holes, but there were some epic ones.
Here's a photo of a mountain of storm trash, heaped by the side of the road

2 comments:

  1. Wow....what a project! We have to do this all the time in Miami. Beach erosion!!! It is a monumental j.o.b.

    I heard about the hail, I heard about the mini tornado...but storm?

    Kinda ugly yea, that whole mountain of sand. Then you would have to worry about the quality and hygiene of that sand!!! Several incidents here of illness from the "new" sand!!

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  2. Hi Rain,

    The storm included all that you mentioned and more: hail, flooding, small tornadoes (the art studio roof of a friend of mine in Kailua was torn off), big winds, rain, thunder and lightning.

    I took some more pictures yesterday of the beach restoration project and will post them when I have more time. I've heard of problems with imported sand, like biting bugs. Let's hope that we won't get sick from using the new beach.

    Love you!

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