MAUNALUA AREA DESCRIPTION
Maunalua is
located on the south coast of Oʻahu at the east
end of Maunalua Bay. A shallow fringing reef and Kawaihoa Point (Koko Head) protect the shoreline from the
full energy of seasonal southerly swells and tradewind
waves year-Âround, which commonly affect this side of the island.
The Maunalua shoreline is largely
man-made. The area was developed by Henry J. Kaiser and the
Kaiser-Aetna Corporation beginning in 1959. Kuapā
fishpond was transformed into Hawaii Kai Marina through extensive dredging of
the shallow pond and reef and filling of the marshy shoreline. The shorelines
at Kuliʻouʻou Beach Park and Maunalua Bay Beach Park were extended seaward by landfill
(100ft and 330ft, resp.). These alterations can be seen in the seaward movement
of the shoreline between 1928 and 1967.
Due to extensive shoreline reconstruction, only historical
shorelines from the modern configuration of each beach (1967- 2015) are used to
calculate change rates. Kuliʻouʻou Beach
Park (transects 0 - 15) is approximately stable with rates ranging from -0.1 to
0.1 ft/yr. Rates are not calculated for the shoreline
between transects 15 and 16 as it is mostly rock and mud with little or no sand
beach. Maunalua Bay Beach Park (transects 34 -56) is
eroding at an average of -0.2 ft/yr. Portlock Beach (transects 26 - 56) is eroding along most of
its length (up to -0.8 ft/yr,
from transects 38 through 56). The remainder of the Portlock
shoreline has no beach with waves breaking against seawalls at high tide.
A previous study found shoreline accretion at Portlock Beach, except near the marina entrance, which
experienced erosion (Sea Engineering, 1988)
For more information see: http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/asp/coasts/oahu/index.asp
1 Hwang, D. (1981) "Beach changes on Oʻahu
as revealed by aerial photographs", State of Hawaii, Department of
Planning and Economic Development.
2 Sea Engineering, Inc. (1988) ÒOʻahu
shoreline studyÓ, City and County of Honolulu, Department of Land Utilization.
Keywords:
Oʻahu; HawaiÔi
Kai; Maunalua Bay; Kawaihoa
Point; Koko Head; Kuapā fishpond; Kuliouou Beach Park