Posted on July 10, 2024
HONOLULU – A long-anticipated dredging operation began Monday at the Wailoa Small Boat Harbor on Hawaii Island.
Following the 2018 Kilauea eruption, lava sediments surrounding the Pohoiki ramp have remained a critical concern for Hawaii Island boaters.
Gov. Green appropriated a $3.1 million construction fund to improve the harbor.
“I’d like to thank Gov. Green for releasing funds for the design and construction for improvements at Wailoa Small Boat Harbor, said Sen. Lorraine Inouye.
“The Wailoa Small Boat Harbor has been in desperate need of repair, especially in recent years … the Wailoa Small Boat Harbor is critically important to the Hilo community,” Sen. Inouye said.
The bulkhead fender and the boat ramp loading dock will be repaired, and dredging for the Wailoa Small Boat Harbor will also be completed.
The repairs are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The DNLR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) attempts to carry out dredging operations and repairs in state small boat harbors every five to eight years.
Community input helped DOBOR fast-track the contracting, permitting, and design process, which could only begin after the legislature appropriated and released the funding.
The process for Wailoa took five months, compared to a typical timeline of nine months.
“We’re excited this project is underway and ask for everyone’s continued patience as the work proceeds over the next few months,” DOBOR Administrator Meghan Statts said.
