Shoreline Preservation
Coastal Geology Group in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaiʻi. 2021. Hawaiʻi Shoreline Study. Retrieved from https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/crc/index.php/hawaii-shoreline-study-web-map
Hawai'i Shoreline
Hawai'i beaches are vital for recreational uses, cultural practices, critical habitat for endangered wildlife, and create a natural buffer from waves, yet our beaches are being lost at alarming rates largely due to development built too close to the ocean.
Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 205A-1 defines the shoreline as
“The upper reaches of the wash of the waves, other than storm and seismic waves, at high tide during the season of the year in which the highest wash of the waves occurs, usually evidenced by the edge of vegetation growth or the upper limit of debris left by the wash of the waves.”
The primary purpose of shoreline certifications is to administer the shoreline setback law and other related laws. Lands below the shoreline are held by the State as a public trust for the people of Hawai'i. The shoreline setback serves to provide a buffer zone that protects both beach resources and private lands from the effects of shoreline instability and coastal hazards. Shoreline setbacks are intended to reduce risks to structures from coastal hazards, protect shoreline access, and conserve beach and sand resources. The certified shoreline is the line in the sand where the shoreline setback gets calculated from.
Throughout Hawaiian history, the ocean shoreline has provided a venue for transportation, religious practice, cultural and recreational usage. The use of the upper reaches of the wash of the waves as the boundary between private lands and our public beaches is based on ancient Hawaiian tradition. Our shorelines are our common heritage. All lands makai (seaward) of the certified shoreline are part of the Public Trust, and lateral shoreline access is guaranteed to the public.
www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol02_Ch0046-0115/HRS0115/HRS_0115-.htm
Hawai'i Shoreline Laws
Hawaii’s land laws are unique in that they are based on ancient tradition, custom, practice and usage. In the late 1960’s and 1970’s, the Hawaii Supreme Court, under Chief Justice William S. Richardson, issued a series of landmark decisions establishing the law regarding shoreline locations in Hawai'i. These visionary cases afforded broad recognition and protection of the public rights and access to Hawaii’s shoreline.
The public trust doctrine is enshrined in the Hawaii State Constitution. Article XI, section 1 of the Hawaii State Constitution declares that "all public resources are held in trust by the state for the benefit of its people."
These seminal cases manifest the express public policy of "extending to public use and ownership to as much of Hawaii’s shoreline as is reasonably possible" and the long-recognized principle, enshrined in the Hawaii State Constitution, that lands below the shoreline are held by the State as a public trust for the people of Hawaii.
Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 205A Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Laws
Beach Erosion
The North Shore is exposed to large seasonal swells during the winter months. These beaches change most every day. The natural movement of sand is transported along the beach by wind, waves and currents. Our beaches can experience sand loss and at other times these beaches may accumulate sand. The Hā'ena/Wainiha area has experienced significant erosion, with some beaches such as Wainiha losing upwards of 1.4ft of shoreline each year.
Historical Shoreline Change: Erosion Rates (ft/yr) from Ke'e to Wainiha Transects (0-288)
A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey and University of Hawai'i researchers, National Assessment of Shoreline Change: Historical Shoreline Change in the Hawaiian Islands, finds that “the majority of beaches (70%) in Hawai'i are experiencing coastal erosion and many miles of beach have been severely narrowed or lost over the past century. Degradation and loss of public beaches results in impacts to coastal ecosystems, public access, recreation, cultural practices, and Hawaii’s tourism-based economy. ‘Healthy’ beaches and dunes also provide a natural buffer protecting coastal development and infrastructure from erosion and coastal flooding. Tidal and natural wave patterns shift the sand up and down the coast in natural processes.” Currently, 71% of Kauai's beaches are defined as chronically eroding (USGS, 2012) meaning that unlike natural patterns where sand returns, chronic erosion is the permanent and long term loss of sediment.
For a traditional history about Hā'ena, please visit pacificworlds.com.
