Department of Land and Natural Resources

For Immediate News Release: August 1, 2019

DLNR WORKING WITH NORTH SHORE HOMEOWNERS TO MANAGE BEACH EROSION

(Honolulu) – This week, homeowners on O‘ahu’s northshore are conducting beach maintenance (sand pushing) to temporarily restore a beach berm adjacent to their properties. The DLNR coordinated authorization for the temporary erosion control effort to take place seaward of 20 properties at Pūpūkea Beach Park.

The work is being conducted in response to last year’s extreme erosion event that affected long stretches of North Shore beaches and threatened single-family homes. The goal of the project is to provide an erodible buffer for properties threatened by intensifying coastal hazards.

Sand pushing and beach restoration are commonly used strategies for erosion control. DLNR considers such projects in advance of seasonal erosion when the beach is still relatively wide.  

Sam Lemmo, Administrator for the DLNR Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands (OCCL) said, “Our State’s sandy beaches are the last line of defense against rising seas and chronic shoreline retreat. It is critical that we enable actions, where environmentally appropriate, to reduce the rate of erosion utilizing soft erosion control measures like beach restoration and sand pushing.”

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For more information:
DLNR Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands:
(808) 587-0377

Media Contact:
Dan Dennison
Senior Communications Manager
(808) 587-0396
[email protected]