Kanahā Pond Wetland

Kanahā Pond in Kahului is a wildlife sanctuary and protected home of the Ae’o (rare Hawaiian Stilt). Kanahā Pond is a wetland and was part of a much larger area of wetlands and marshes that extended from the Kahului airport all the way to the Ka’ahaumanu shopping center. Kanahā Pond was modified into a Loko Pu’uone (inland fishpond) as a gift to the Ali’i Nui (chief). This pond was later modified by the Military during WW2. However, the wetland hydrology and the wildlife remain.

Kanahā Pond is an example of a Loko Pu’uone (inland fishpond) which was a natural wetland that was modified by the Hawaiians to make a fishpond. It was later modified by the US military. But the underlying hydrology and the wildlife remain. Saving the wetlands also means saving Hawaiian fishponds like this as well.

The city of Kahului grew up around this important Fishpond and over time development has degraded the freshwater springs that feed this wetland. Kahului was deliberately drained by a series of de-watering channels to allow for development, so the water table in the area has been artificially lowered.

Here is an interesting view of Kanahā Pond beside the Mauoni Pond (they are sister ponds), and you can see that there is a separate channel the bypasses Kanahā Pond. Kanahā Pond is allowed to go dry while this channel is full of water.

According to Wikipedia: Kanahā Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary is a 143-acre (58 ha) wetland in Maui, Hawaii. This waterfowl sanctuary attracts two endangered Hawaiian bird species, the Hawaiian coot (ʻalae, ʻalae keʻokeʻo) (Fulica alai) and the Hawaiian stilt (aeʻo) (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni).  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanahā_Pond_State_Wildlife_Sanctuary

KAHULUI DRAINAGE CHANNELS: This network of drainage channels is designed to de-water the wetlands that lie beneath Kahului. They handle stormwater and drainage but they do not go into Kanahā Pond. They bypass Kanahā Pond. On far the left side you can we the channels at the harbor that flow into a remnant wetland. And the Large channel on the right side takes water from the Costco area to the mouth of the Kilialanui Stream at Ka’a Point. The Kalialanui Stream comes all the way downhill from Pukalani. The mouth of the Stream is also fed by underground springs and is a perennial body of water.

Learn More about the Different types of Wetlands