Maui County Planning Department announced that a project for the Maalaea Village Coastal Resilience and Erosion Management Plan will begin at the end of August 2021.
This project seeks a “proactive and holistic approach” to lessen the Maalaea Bay Beach coastal erosion through different coastal resilience strategies. This may include the option of erosion mitigation and relocation of threatened structures.
Moffat & Nichol, contractors from Honolulu, will be conducting a sand resource study off the shore of Maalaea Harbor. This study will identify, characterize and quantify possible offshore sand sources that could support beach restoration of Maalaea Bay Beach.
This work will be completed by a small craft off the shore of Maalaea, which may be seen in the coming weeks.
The coastal-resilience community planning effort will provide next steps and proactive options for protecting at-risk properties and infrastructure as well as preserving the coastal ecosystem, the department said.
This coastal erosion program is being run by the Planning Department and theUniversity of Hawaii Sea Grant Program, with funding support from Maui County Council and The Maalaea Village association.
Erosion of Hawaii’s coasts is becoming progressively worse, approximately 85% of Maui’s coastline is experiencing sustained erosion. This erosion has been documented a Maalaea Bay Beach, threatening the Condo buildings built near the coastal hazard zone. This is continually being investigated for solutions through building removal or temporary repairs.
For more information, contact county Senior Shoreline Planner Erin Derrington at erin.derrington@co.maui.hi.us and Tara Owens, coastal processes and hazards specialist with the UH Sea Grant College Program, at taram@hawaii.edu.