Department of Land and Natural Resources

(LĪHUʻE) –Keahua Bridge and parking lot will be closed beginning today through early next week due to repairs of the bridge surface and pedestrian railings.  In addition to the bridge repairs, contractors will be felling seven large albizia trees in the immediate vicinity of Keahua Bridge and parking lot areas.

(HONOLULU) – Ensuring continual mauka to makai streamflows in Lāwa‘i Stream on Kaua‘i was made possible by the establishment of an interim instream flow standard (IIFS) by the Commission on Water Resource Management on Tuesday. The IIFS permits the protection of valuable instream uses. 

(Honolulu) – The Poamoho Trail has been closed due to a large landslide event. The trail will remain closed and access permits will remain suspended until a hazard mitigation team has assessed the damage and potential hazards on-trail.  

(HONOLULU) – An extension of the Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve and the addition of Pia Valley in east O‘ahu, to the state’s Natural Area Reserves (NAR) System are on the table for input from people in March. The NAR System, a program of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), seeks to keep native ecosystems as intact as possible to preserve Hawaii’s natural heritage.

 (HONOLULU) – Pu‘u Ola‘i (Little) Beach, at Mākena State Park on Maui’s south shore, will reopen tomorrow (Saturday, March 13) after being closed for several months.   Officials from the DLNR Division of State Parks and Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) spent the closure time developing a plan for the popular beach section that focuses on enjoyment for all park users and enhanced management and protection of  cultural resources. 

(LĪHUʻE) – Polihale State Park, Hāʻena State Park, and the Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park are all closed due to the impacts of heavy rain fall, flash flooding, and landslides.  The entrance road to Polihale, on Kaua‘i’s west side, is flooded with numerous ponds of water along the route. Canal irrigation ditches have overflowed and is causing new erosion hotspots. The road is currently a river of mud.

(Honolulu) – Whether you live on high or low ground, everyone lives in some type of a flood zone. Knowing your risk is essential as unpredictable rainy weather events can leave property owners with damaged or destroyed structures. The DLNR Engineering Division is the state agency responsible for assisting with the coordination of the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and individual counties.

(Haiku, Maui) –DLNR Chair Suzanne Case and DLNR Dam Safety officials conducted a site survey at the Kaupakalua Dam and Reservoir Tuesday afternoon, immediately after Monday’s flooding. The group was accompanied by Maui Mayor Michael Victorino and County of Maui staff, as well as dam and reservoir operators.   

(HONOLULU) – The 138-year-old earthen dam which resulted in evacuations on Maui on Monday, has been the focus of regulators. The Kaupakalua Dam in the Haiku region of Maui overtopped with water from its reservoir during historic rains yesterday. People living in the area were forced to evacuate as the dam’s owners and state and county emergency officials kept a close eye on the integrity of the aging structure. 

 (Kahului) – State and Maui County officials are closely monitoring an earthen dam in the Haiku region of Maui after heavy rain caused water to overtop the dam this afternoon.  The County evacuation map shows approximately 30 parcels or lots below the Kaupakalua Dam, which is at Kaupakalua Gulch about five miles east of the Haiku turnoff on the Hana Highway. Anyone who lives in the vicinity of this dam is asked to evacuate immediately.