The Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) is collaborating with the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) and the City and County of Honolulu to clear mud and debris from the Ala Wai Canal after heavy weekend rains. The agencies are also preparing for another predicted rain event.
A contractor for DOBOR is using heavy equipment to clean a "trash trap" at the canal's outflow, near Waikīkī. By day's end, it is expected that a large roll-off trash container will be filled with debris that has flowed downstream. The trap aims to prevent trash from entering the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor and the ocean.
According to Meghan Statts, DOBOR administrator, the trap booms capture only about 20% of debris from the canal, stopping it from reaching the harbor or ocean.
DOT officials are assessing mitigation measures in anticipation of further rainfall. DLNR Chair Dawn Chang acknowledged DOT's support along with that of the City and County of Honolulu in preventing additional debris buildup. Further measures are expected to be implemented soon.
Officials urge residents living along the Ala Wai Canal and its tributary streams to secure items on their properties that might end up in the canal. This morning, large coolers and various debris filled the harbor trash trap.
HDOT, DLNR, and the University of Hawai‘i College of Engineering are discussing long-term strategies with area legislator Senator Sharon Moriwaki to reduce trash accumulation in the Ala Wai Canal.