The Kekaha study area (transects 108 – 251) is located on the southwest coast of Kauaʻi along the southern exposure of the Mana Plain. The area is bounded to the west by Kokole Point and in the east by ‘Ō‘ōmanō Point. The shoreline in the majority of the study area is composed of white carbonate sand with some terrestrial, darker sand and mud which becomes more common towards ‘Ō‘ōmanō Point. The study area is exposed to swell from the northwest and west during winter and spring months, swell from the west and southwest in the summer as well as persistent tradewinds.
This study area is a section of a continuous sandy beach which runs from Kīkīaola Small Boat Harbor through Kekaha and Majors Bay. Kekaha Beach Park (transects 108 – 223) dominates the central and eastern portions of the area. Overall, the Kekaha study area is experiencing erosion with an average shoreline change rate of -2.1 ft/yr. Kekaha Beach Park is experiencing erosion with an average shoreline change rate of -2.2 ft/yr while the remaining portion of sandy beach (transects 224 – 251) is eroding with an average shoreline change rate of -1.7 ft/yr. Previous studies* did not analyze the Kekaha study area shoreline.
*Makai Ocean Engineering and Sea Engineering, 1991 Aerial Photograph Analysis of Coastal Erosion on the Islands of Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii. State of Hawaii Office of Coastal Zone Management Program.
Last updated: July 2021
Directions: To view a larger image of the photo, click on the image. To download the georeferenced TIFF version of the photo, click on the name
