Posted on March 7, 2022
Adjacent to the beach are the Sugar Cove Condominiums, whose fourteen homeowners have funded millions of dollars of sand replenishment. Rich Salem is the President of the Sugar Cove Association of Apartment Owners (AOAO).
(KAHULUI) – Sugar Cove is an idyllic location on the north shore of Maui, near Pā’ia. Hidden from view from the busy highway this pocket beach is home to a privately funded beach restoration effort that’s been ongoing for nearly three decades.
Adjacent to the beach are the Sugar Cove Condominiums, whose fourteen homeowners have funded millions of dollars of sand replenishment. Rich Salem is the President of the Sugar Cove Association of Apartment Owners (AOAO).
“The community originally wanted just to protect its watersports access. We subsequently realized how precious a resource the beach is, not only just for access, but as a community asset,” Salem explained. “For more than twenty-years we’ve brought in a total of 15,000 to 20,000-tons of sand to build the beach back up after erosion events and winter storms.”
The AOAO used to have a supply of sand on Maui but has recently had to ship in DLNR-approved sand from O‘ahu. Salem said, “We expect we can probably do another 10 years of sand feeding with our stockpile, hoping to build an equilibrium or stasis. It hinges on controlling wave energy on the west side of the pocket beach.”
