BOATER'S BUOY'S AND WATER QUALITY
EMAIL REQUEST 9-24-2021
Aloha Suzanne Case and Ed Underwood,
My name is Carmen Guzman-Simpliciano a born and raised Wai’anae resident. I wanted to make you aware that water circulation a Pokai Bay is known to be a long-standing issue and has been one of the topics of discussion on social media westside townhall, in our Neighborhood Board discussions documented well over 10 years now, we are in need of immediate action. We have been witnessing floating turd and turd-like objects on the ocean surface, a high bacteria count has also been a long-standing issue and documented on more than one occasion.
Poka'i Bay is a conservation area according to the Division of Aquatics Division another Divison under the Department of Boating and Ocean Recreation. It has been proven that boats that are anchoring have affected this area significantly. I believe the mooring location should be reassessed due to the fact that the area is no longer considered to be a small boat harbor. I also want to make mention that I did meet with our Senator Maile Shimabukuro and discussed the need to have the mooring rules changed the suggestion was to once a year, special permitting ie: Hokulea, and or no more than three times a year. Due to the fact that it does not have any maintained jetty walls, nor does it no longer have the piers to measure the correct azimuth for the buoys in order to legally take any lawful action. §13-244-33 PG 26
Boats have been documented by the lifeguards coming in extremely close to the shoreline due to the absence of buoys which should create a standoff from shoreline swimmers and marine life. I believe that the bouy's should be moved to the outer skirts of the jetty walls alleviating one of the causes of the pollution problem. There is a lot of factors to investigate storm drain canal, wastewater pipes, poor circulation due to climate change, and a damaged jetty. Tour boats are also seen daily with their motors running while they are letting the tourists swim in areas they are not supposed to be in the bay.
A copy of the Wai’anae Neighborhood Board resolution should have been sent to your office per the Neighborhood Board Commission and if it hasn’t please let me know.
My question to you is how does Boating check for pollution within a Conservation Area? Is there funding to repair the aging and extremely dangerous jetty wall that people keep climbing on, houseless are living on? Will this funding address the repairs and implement a water circulation system as in Bill HCR194_HD1? We need all agencies Department of Boating and Recreation, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the University of Hawai'i, the City and County of Honolulu, and the State of Hawai'i to take immediate corrective action.
Response:
Thank you for your message. I believe this entail making a proposal through the Hawaii Administrative Rule making process to amend 13-244-33 for Pokai Bay Ocean Waters.
Mahalo,
Bruce Swartz
Oahu District Manager
Suggested relocation of buoy's to address the issues of boater's mooring.
PŌKA'Ī BAY AND KŪ'ĪLIOLOA HEIAU
PENDING ISSUES
- Enclosure of Restroom Roof: pending design, construction.
- Cattle Gates: pending specs and funding
- Request for statewide Heiau signage: pending
- Kū'īlioloa Heiau Sculpture: pending plaque mo'olelo
- Buoy Relocation to address boater mooring/community issues : pending the amendment of §13-244-33 PG 26
- Water Quality Improvement Project pending...
COMPLETED ISSUES
- Security Gates for mens and womens restroom installed July 26
- Requested that the Mayor come out and see all the issues first hand and why he should release the million dollars allocated for Pōka’ī Bay.
- Two street lights on Heiau Pathway has been repaired in late May.
- Park Rules Sign installed in May.
- "No Feeding Animals" (DOBAR) installed in June.
- Removed graffiti on Malaea sign: July.
- Touched up Malaea sign in July cleanup.
- Repaint pillars, removal of graffiti at July cleanup.
- Shearwater Signage printed and installed in August.
- Repaint cattle gate path to Heiau.
- Road Repavement completed in October.
DID YOU KNOW?
Poka'i Bay Malaea
Poka'i Bay Malaea
Poka'i Bay Malaea
The bay is named after the Hawaiian chief Pokai, who is said to have brought the first coconut palm tree to Hawaii. “Ka Uluniu o Pokai” is the famous coconut grove that once lined the backshore.
Poka'i Bay was originally named Malaea, meaning "calm" or "serene." Malaea shelters the sandy beach of Nene'u and the site of the temple called Kū'īlioloa Heiau at Kane'ilio Point. Dedicated to a dog kupua (spirit), rites performed at the heiau protected those traveling by land and sea. At the north end of the bay is Kaupuni Stream, the spawning ground of anae (mullet) which gave Wai'anae (mullet waters) its name. The village Poka'i, famous for its coconut grove, once lay near the stream.
Conservation Area
Poka'i Bay Malaea
Poka'i Bay Malaea
Location: That portion of Pōka‘ī Bay including the Pōka‘ī Boat Harbor and the Wai‘anae Small Boat Harbor, the seaward boundary a straight line from Kaneilio Point to Lahilahi Point, and the northwestern boundary a straight line extending southwest from the point immediately seaward of Wai‘anae High School.
Permitted:To take any legal size fish in season with one line, or one rod and line, with no more than two hooks.To take crabs with not more than 10 nets, provided the nets are not more than two feet in diameter. To take shrimp for bait with a hand net, provided that the net is not more than three feet in any dimension. Commercial Marine licensees with a Bait License may take nehu, iao, and other authorized baitfish for bait purposes.
Licensed pond owners or operators may take young mullet (pua) or other small fish for stocking their fishpond.
Prohibited: To fish in or take aquatic life, except as indicated in permitted activities above. HRS188-35
Ua'u Kani
Poka'i Bay Malaea
The Old Boat Harbor
The ʻuaʻu kani, wedge-tailed shearwater In Hawai‘i, diet primarily consists of larval goatfish, flyingfish, squirrelfish, and flying squid.
Adult ʻuaʻu arrive on land in early spring and nest in underground burrows, entering and leaving after dark. The female lays a single egg in May. Both parents take turns incubating for 60 days and then feed the chick until it fledges in November or early December. November, young ʻuaʻu leave their nests for the first time and fly at night to the ocean searching for food.
A primary threat to fledglings are bright urban lights that cause them to become disoriented and fall to the ground or collide with structures. Once grounded, it is difficult for ʻuaʻu to take flight, leaving them extremely vulnerable to cats, dogs and mongooses.
The Old Boat Harbor
Kū'īlioloa Heiau's Issues
The Old Boat Harbor
In its annual report for 1950, the Harbor Board noted, “The development of small harbors for pleasure and fishing craft throughout the islands should be continued as funds can be spared for such development.” The 1951 Legislature responded by appropriating amounts of money for small boat harbors to be built at Poka'i Bay.
This abandoned harbor is now a home port to the e'ala, a double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe, used to educated locals and Hawaiians about their seafaring heritage.
HR 122: Urging The United States Army Corps Of Engineers, The Department Of Land And Natural Resources, The Department Of Health, The City And County Of Honolulu, And The University Of Hawaii To Collaborate To Create A Mechanism For Generating Water Circulation In Pokai Bay On Leeward Oahu. (2017)
HR 128: Urging The Department Of Health To Prioritize The Testing And Research Of Beach Sand Contamination Levels At Pokai Bay On Oahu'S Leeward Coast And Requesting The City And County Of Honolulu To Renovate Its Public Facilities At Pokai Bay To Mitigate Environmental And Health Risks Caused By Pollution And Contaminants. (2020) measure deleted
HR 107: Urging the Department of Health to prioritize the testing and research of beach sand contamination levels at Poka'i Bay on Oahu's leeward coast and the City and county of Honolulu to renovate it's public facilities at Poka'i Bay to mitigate environmental and health risk caused by pollution and contaminants. (2020)
Kū'īlioloa Heiau's Issues
Kū'īlioloa Heiau's Issues
Kū'īlioloa Heiau's Issues
The word Ku'ilioloa incorporates the Hawaiian God of War "Ku" with "iIiloa", meaning "long dog".
Ku'īlioloa Heiau is managed by the City and County of Honolulu, they do not have the agencies or agents, and programs to care for the area properly. They would have to create a agency to agency plan and implement the resolutions which we are working on.
- it's not registered as an Historical Site
- lacks proper signage of Heiau name and story, to include wahi pana signs
- no protection of Ua'u
- the Ua'u are susceptible to mammalian predation from these feral cats that are residing in jetty wall, posing a danger to all fauna and sealife due to their waste and toxoplasma parasite.
Issues Within Poka'i Bay
Kū'īlioloa Heiau's Issues
Kū'īlioloa Heiau's Issues
Poka'i Bay is managed by the City and County of Honolulu, within this park an agency to agency stewardship needs to happen to get all different issues resolved such as:
- Department of Land and Natural Resources have jurisdiction over the Jetty wall and up to the high-water mark.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has jurisdiction over all sealife
- Department of Foresty and Wildlife has jurisdiction of all Fauna.
- Department of Urban Forestry has jurisdiction of all trees in city and state parks, but not hau bushes.
- No gates to lock restrooms at night
- Drug Trafficking
- Houselessness
- Lacks law enforcement and park closures
SECURITY GATES AND SIGNS
UPDATES 7-11-2021
Department of Parks and Recs will be installing the Security Gates at the restrooms of Pokai Bay. The installation is a two-part project consisting of a custom welded gate; the projected completion date will be mid-August. Following up with the security bars that'll enclose the roofline to deter people from jumping over the wall; will also take some time and custom work with no date set.
Department of Boating and Recreaction installed their sign on the Jetty wall "FEEDING OF COLONIES, STRAYS, WILDLIFE OR FERAL ANIMALS IS PROHIBITED VIOLATORS CAN FACE UP TO A $1000 FINE AND JAIL TIME."
I was asked, what can we do now for enforcement?
1. Call 911 non-emergency and report a violation of what you witnessed description of vehicle, person, and offense.
2. Call DLNR Enforcement: 643-DLNR and or download the DLNRtip app to report the crime and submit a video, pictures preferred method because it is tracked until completion.
DLNR's Department of Forestry and Wildlife Tiana their biologist has put the sign "OFFSHORE ISLAND WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES" "SHEARWATER NESTING AREA KEEP OUT" order in a couple of weeks back. Still, since their fiscal year is ending, their purchases are being held until mid-July. So attentively we should see something by late August.
SUBMITTED SERVICE REQUEST CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLUU
KŪ'ĪLIOLOA HEIAU STATEWIDE SIGNAGE REQUEST
PILILA'AU ARMY RECREATION CENTER'S DIRT ROAD/PARKING LOT
PILILA'AU ARMY RECREATION CENTER'S DIRT ROAD/PARKING LOT
To have consistent signage across the state like other Heiau's.
PILILA'AU ARMY RECREATION CENTER'S DIRT ROAD/PARKING LOT
PILILA'AU ARMY RECREATION CENTER'S DIRT ROAD/PARKING LOT
PILILA'AU ARMY RECREATION CENTER'S DIRT ROAD/PARKING LOT
Requesting CM Tupola assist in the repaving of the dirt road.
REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION PŌKA'Ī BAY AND KŪ'ĪLIOLOA
REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION PŌKA'Ī BAY AND KŪ'ĪLIOLOA, HOUSELESS CAMPS.
REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION PŌKA'Ī BAY AND KŪ'ĪLIOLOA, HOUSELESS CAMPS.
Ua'u protection and Feral Cat assesment.
REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION PŌKA'Ī BAY AND KŪ'ĪLIOLOA, HOUSELESS CAMPS.
REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION PŌKA'Ī BAY AND KŪ'ĪLIOLOA, HOUSELESS CAMPS.
REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION PŌKA'Ī BAY AND KŪ'ĪLIOLOA, HOUSELESS CAMPS.
Unauthorized camping in parks, stored property ordinance, sidewalk nuisance ordinance and park closure enforcements on City Property
REQUEST FOR SECURITY GATES AND CAMERAS
Response from Laura Theilen:
I would love to have wireless security cameras in most of our facilities. This grant from HTA was hopefully only the start.
We are having to work through some logistical issues:
1. We received a request to go through formal consultation, which we are in the middle of. While that is being done, the HTA-funded cameras are turned off. Hopefully the Union will agree with us that these are in the best interest of our staff as well as park patrons.
2. We need to get wireless connectivity to these sites. Cameras with the film stored in them will be destroyed and the film lost, and won’t be effective. We found with the HTA funds we were limited in where we could place cameras, since many of our parks are large and wireless doesn’t reach all the area. We are looking into the federal infrastructure funding coming to the states to see if that can help connectivity to parks.
3. Once we resolve issues 1 & 2, we will need funding to install cameras.
I think item 2 is really the big ticket item. But we will methodically work through areas because we need ways to stop this kind of behavior in our public spaces. You’re right, cameras are a part of the solution.
On another note, we did get support for using CIP funds to repave the Pokai Bay parking area. We’re frantically trying to get the paperwork completed to be able to use the money before it lapses June 30. The next project in line will be to find a way to do the security bars and gates for the comfort station.
I tried to get the cattle gates included in the repaving. But we found one of the entrances was too wide, and there are some other issues that created logistical problems. We’ll work on that following the security bars and gates.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Director Laura H Thielen
Department of Parks and Recreation
City and County of Honolulu
1000 Uluohia Street, Ste 309
Kapolei, HI 96707
Poka'i Bay left. Keaiwa Heiau right.