Nainoa Thompson joins effort to clean filthy Ala Wai
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
The Ala Wai Watershed Collaboration’s goal is to develop public-private partnerships to make the Ala Wai a clean, healthy waterway.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Piilohi Kekumu leads members of the Anuenue/Halau Ku Mana canoe club in some running before training in the Ala Wai Canal.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
The Anuenue/Halau Ku Mana canoe club trains on the Ala Wai Canal under the direction of coach Reggie Keaunui, standing on the dock. High school canoe clubs use the Ala Wai Canal for practice.
The Ala Wai Canal is home to the largest concentration of canoe clubs in the state, yet according to city readings it sometimes has 20 times the level of contaminants considered safe for human recreation.
Nainoa Thompson, president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, said he remembers paddling down the waterway at age 12 and diving head-first off the McCully Street Bridge into cleaner waters. The canal’s convenience and relatively calm waters still attract scores of paddlers, including 14 canoe clubs. But Thompson avoids the waterway and won’t let his children paddle there, either.
“I know the Ala Wai is not a healthy place. Either let’s go fix it or put up signs and condemn it,” Thompson said Thursday. “Our kids deserve more. We need to restore our waterway and link it to the educational system to create the platform for the next generation of really great navigators.”
The city has been required to test for levels of sewage bacteria in the canal since 2006 to ensure an emergency sewage pipe isn’t leaking. Through 2013, Thompson said, some samples have far exceeded test limits.
Thompson is best known for bringing back the ancient Polynesian art of navigation through the voyages of the Hokule‘a, a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe. The Hokule‘a’s most ambitious journey, the Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage, began in 2013 and is expected to end in June after covering 60,000 nautical miles and stopping in 100 ports in 27 nations.
Thompson is now joining a decades-old movement to improve the Ala Wai Canal watershed with the hope of helping restoration leaders finally bring their voyage home. The Polynesian Voyaging Society, Kyo-ya Hotels &Resorts and the Waikiki Improvement Association launched the Ala Wai Watershed Collaboration last week. They will meet again in December, drawing representatives from the tourism industry, schools, nonprofits and restoration organizations.
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“We realize that there are already many amazing efforts underway, but we would like to bring everyone together to discuss and offer input on the best way to work together to make the Ala Wai a clean, healthy waterway,” said Waikiki Improvement Association President Rick Egged.
Hawaii has spent years trying to improve the Ala Wai watershed, a 19-square-mile area that joins water bodies from the ridge of the Koolau Mountains to Mamala Bay’s near-shore waters.
An Army Corps of Engineers Ala Wai Canal flood-mitigation proposal would reduce 100-year flood risks at the man-made waterway, constructed during the 1920s to drain coastal wetlands to develop Waikiki. The plan is among a half-dozen restoration proposals, including the University of Hawaii’s “Make the Ala Wai Awesome” student design challenge.
During the last state Legislature, lawmakers supported the formation of the Ala Wai Watershed Partnership, saying that if a Category 4 hurricane hit Oahu, the damage to Waikiki alone could hit $30 billion. Likewise, a 100-year flood in the dense watershed that feeds the canal could cost an estimated $318 million, affecting about 1,358 acres and more than 3,000 properties.
Heavy rain already causes brown-water advisories and sewage spills that have clogged the canal and temporarily closed Waikiki beaches, said Henry Kruse, a paddling coach for Roosevelt High School and Hui Lanikila, which has 220 members.
“It’s the toilet. Everything gets down into the Ala Wai from the upper streams,” Kruse said. “We have to control upstream contamination and dumping. About a month ago, when we had big rains here, the canal got really, really bad. Three-quarters of the McCully Street Bridge was blocked with debris. You name it, I’ve seen it — logs, sofas, mattresses, baby buggies, shopping carts, mopeds, stuffed animals.”
Thompson hopes to catalyze improvement efforts by ending the Hokule‘a’s worldwide voyage in the Ala Wai Harbor to draw focus to the watershed and the canal.
“There’s no other person in the canoe that I respect more than Nainoa,” Kruse said. “When he pulls into the Ala Wai Harbor, I think it will open a lot of eyes. We all have to work to clean this place up.”
25 responses to “Nainoa Thompson joins effort to clean filthy Ala Wai”
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There is heavy chemical contamination on the east end; showering is a Must!
Use the Ala Wai golf course as a holding tank where the run off is distilled before being let out into the ala wai water way.
Great article. Now inform the public how we can help. Please post info on how, what, where the general public can help to clean up the mess WE have created.
So when is he going to donate money to the cause?
Nainoa is a very rich Hawaiian. His ancestors owned Niu Valley and still have an estate at the back of the valley where he lives. He can do whatever he wants financially. But that said, this job should be done by the city in concert with the state. It is fixable!
The canal needs another inlet/outlet. It will cost a lot of money but install an underwater drain on the east end out to somewhere feasible. The constant flushing by the tides should reduce bacteria to safe levels.
Yes. Someone told me that the canal was originally planned as a giant horseshoe. It was supposed to be open at both ends.
I think the original plan was for the AlaWai Canal to go down along KapahuluAve past the Zoo, across Kalakaua and drain out at The Wall, next to Kuhio Beach.
I think there is a drain by the Shell. I remember something in that area but that was along time ago!
“The city has been required to test for levels of sewage bacteria in the canal since 2006 to ensure an emergency sewage pipe isn’t leaking.”>>> Testing it and doing something about it are two, entirely, different matters. Welcome to Hawaii.
The problem is caused by non point source pollution – the street and residential runoff from Kaimuki to Maliki. With the increase in population really nothing can be done. Given the amount of water that runs through all of the streams within the watershed, you would need a massive holding tank – probably about the size of the current golf course. in Florida Water Hyacinth has been proven to extract oil and various types of pollution. I certainly would be in favor of having something like this instead of the current golf course which is yet another source of pollution due to pesticide run off….
I think you’re right but replacing the Ala Wai golf course with a massive holding tank to filter runoff water isn’t going to get much public support. Steps can be taken to reduce the amount of trash/debris in the runoff, but with respect to the oil and other street-derived chemical contaminants, the old “the solution to pollution is dilution” approach may be the only practical alternative. That would entail pumping ocean water from offshore through an underground pipe into the eastern end of the canal, thereby accelerating water flow and improving water quality.
Non point source pollution indeed. I wonder how many people I see flushing their trash cans into the street/storm drains realize where that ends up. What comes out of a trash can is considered raw sewage. I personally never ever do that. I know too many people who consider themselves “clean” that do. Not a speck of dirt in their house or on anything they own, but all of the contamination gets flushed down the storm drain.
Here’s another one. If your yard guy or yourself sprays to kill the weeds growing in the pavement seams or cracks in the sidewalk, guess where the runoff and residue ends up? I burn weeds growing in those places with a torch. No RoundUp.
The Ala Wai is a DISGRACE and it empty’s into our beautiful ocean. WHY does it take so long to do what is right in this place ? Its COMMON SENSE we should have some PRIDE and make it clean and safe. Hawaii is so a$$ backwards its insane.
CLEAN, FIX and MAINTAIN this should be the city and state motto !!!
Step up you elected officials, DO SOMETHING !!
“…we should have some pride..” doesn’t resonate with most as the problem with the Ala Wait is mainly due to locals who have no pride. What do you want the elected officials to do? Dump money into picking up the s….t when the real problem actually is people who are taking the dump upstream?
OK, so what are some of the plans that exist now: Army Corp. Of Engineers. etc.
Army Corp of Engineer’s are the worst to get involved in the Alawai Canal Project.
Without another in/outlet all your efforts are futile!
-Borg-
Good for volunteerism, however, are not the City and State empowered and funded by our taxes to clean up and keep this area clean? If volunteers somehow clean this up will that be the expectation for the future? If so not likely to be sustainable. Litter and run off control, in part sparked by lack of control by city and state of the homeless camps add to this. Where is the Mayor and Gov on this?
Good comments (except for the one about who is putting in enough money). First, yes the original plan was to have a second outlet about where the groin is now located but that plan was cut short (sound familiar?). Even if there was a second “flush” site the sources of the pollution will still be there. And all of that mess will empty into the heart of Waikiki. Besides Palolo and Makiki, don’t forget that a major source comes from upscale Manoa. Almost all mainland locations require some form of treatment of storm water runoff. That includes water from road storm drains. It’s not hard to imagine what the rivers and lakes on the mainland would be like without treament (think Ala Wai). Most mainland drinking water is sourced from the rivers and lakes. Water from Hawaii’s roads empty directly into streams or the ocean without any form of treatment. We are fortunate that Hawaii does not have to depend on surface water for our drinking water (yet) but we are spoiled “rotten” in our habits and practices. It’s past time for change, and it won’t help by finger pointing unless it is directed into the mirror.
Agree.
From Kapahulu library to makai of the entry of Palolo/Manoa stream, create a retention pond. Option to connect to Kapahulu groin storm drain with extension further out to sea.
Makiki stream will require another retention pond at the old Coco’s/Hard Rock cafe site. Both retention ponds to have water hyacynth and mosquito fish. If other technology is feasible such as solar powered screening, the Makiki stream pond could be covered and planted over. Large accesses will be built in for cleaning.
Expensive but look who’s spending billions on the rail. Money should be used for a much better purpose.
Thank you Nainoa!
The big rubbish comes from the streams. People don’t dump stuff in your own backyard! Catch systems work but someone needs to maintain and clean them out. City and state? Oh brother, we know how that will turn out.
If this canal was built to benefit the island of Waikiki, our leaders back then were ignorant to the fact that a service tax should of been added for those that profit from the island of Waikiki. A service tax of 2% of the profit or 1/2% of the gross revenue whichever is less.
Thus any business that has a direct connection to the rail to be charged this service tax for the upkeep of the rail.