Construction of a new floating dock, with a finger pier and gangway, at the south Kawaihae Small Boat Harbor could begin as early as next week, state officials say.
Department of Land and Natural Resources officials, along with state Sen. Malama Solomon, D-North Hawaii, and Rep. Cindy Evans, D-North Kona, South Kohala, and Rep. Faye Hanohano, D-Puna, celebrated the long-awaited harbor improvements with a groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning.
DLNR Chairman William Aila, following the formal blessing, asked attendees to count to three and take a deep breath.
“Then everybody say, ‘finally,’” Aila said, referencing the more than four-year wait for approvals to begin construction on the harbor improvements. “We’re not looking back anymore. We’re moving forward.”
DLNR ran into several roadblocks trying to start the $4.7 million project, which officials said could be completed by April 2014. Hawaiian Dredging was awarded the contract and was supposed to pick up a final permit Friday. Topping the list of concerns — and causing the subsequent project delays — was the presence of coral in the harbor. Federal officials told DLNR it could not proceed with any dredging of the harbor until potential damage to coral was mitigated. Federal law doesn’t allow a public project to create a net loss of coral.
“We were moving, then we were stopped in our tracks and we didn’t know why,” Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation Administrator Ed Underwood said. “Four and a half years is a very long time.”
Aila said sediment coming down from Kohala Mountain killed off much of the coral in the harbor between federal surveys in 2009 and 2012. That’s not good for the coral, and it’s something DLNR will need to address, the chairman said. But it was good for the construction project. In the end, Aila said, they found only three corals that were deemed to be strong enough to protect. DLNR engineer Eric Yuasa and a team of DLNR employees moved those three corals, by hand, to a nearby location.
Before work can begin on some still-delayed portions of the project, including a boat ramp and two launch ramps, DLNR will need to move more coral, Yuasa said. But those corals are growing on “armor rocks” which could just be moved, he added.
Aila was planning to take a swim Friday before leaving the harbor to inspect the coral. Being able to personally vouch for the corals’ growth “is going to help move things along quickly,” he said.
State legislators have appropriated $2.3 million to improve the access road to the harbor and extend a water line from Kawaihae down to the harbor, Yuasa said. This session, legislators also approved $1.3 million for the boat ramp and loading docks, he said.
Capt. Steve Turner sported a name tag indicating he was third on the waiting list for a slip at the harbor. He’s been waiting 18 years, eight months and 16 days since applying.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Turner said. “It’s very exciting. This to me is the finest sailing in the state of Hawaii.”
