DLNR News Release – NR – CLEANUP OF ALA WAI CANAL UNDERWAY, March 15, 2026

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

KA 'OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI 'ĀINA

RYAN KANAKA'OLE

ACTING CHAIRPERSON

CLEANUP OF ALA WAI CANAL UNDERWAY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 15, 2026

HONOLULU - With both big storms of the Kona low heading east, the Department of Land and Natural Resources' (DLNR) Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) got to work Sunday morning clearing the Ala Wai Canal.

It will take some time for all the debris to wash down the canal where it can be removed, but the crew is making good progress, with an estimated seven containers of material prevented from escaping into the ocean.

Preventive measures were taken earlier in the week. On March 10, 2026, DOBOR personnel were clearing the debris trap ahead of the heavy rains. They also placed a boom across the mouth of the Ala Wai to funnel debris toward the trap where it would be contained and not impact the harbor, yacht clubs and ocean.

"So much of what we're seeing coming out of the Ala Wai canal and into the harbor is household trash, plastics, sawcut logs and green waste from neighborhoods and businesses," said DOBOR Administrator Meghan Statts. "This all starts upstream in the tributaries and gets carried by storm runoff down our waterways. If we don't catch the trash and debris here, it ends up in the ocean, polluting our coastal environments and becoming a hazard to navigation for our boaters - and causes public health and safety issues for swimmers and surfers.

"We understand that our community gets very concerned when they see large accumulations of trash like this in our waterways," she added. "Fortunately, this is something everyone can help with right from their own homes: just don't throw trash and yard cuttings into ditches and streams."

To learn more about how you can help keep our waterways and coastal environments clean and healthy, visit the DLNR "Year of Our Coastal Kuleana" web page at:

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/coasts/

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