SAND ISLAND AREA DESCRIPTION

Kamokuʻākulikuli, also known as Sand Island, is a man-made barrier island on the southern shoreline of Oʻahu. The island was constructed in the 1940's by depositing coral and sand dredge material on a shallow reef (Clark 2005). The beaches at Sand Island State Recreation Area (transects 0 - 27) are divided into two sections by a short area of hard shoreline (between transects 16 and 18). The remainder of the southern shoreline of Kamokuʻākulikuli is comprised of rock breakwalls, except for a small beach constructed near the eastern end between 1982 and 2005. The coast in this area is exposed to refracted easterly tradewind waves and seasonal swell during summer months.

The eastern section of Kamokuʻākulikuli beach is accreting at moderate to high rates (up to 0.8 ft/yr around transect 14). The west section is eroding with the highest erosion at the far west end around transect 26 (-1.6 ft/yr).

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) “Oʻahu shoreline study”, City and County of Honolulu, Department of Land Utilization.

Keywords:

Oʻahu; Sand Island; Sand Island State Recreation Area