This article is the third in a series of updates to the North Shore News community about the ongoing progress of Turtle Bay Resort’s draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) Preparation Notice and the Revised Plan (Revised Plan). Turtle Bay Resort (TBR) has the unique opportunity to honor and respect these lands and community by incorporating traditional Hawaiian cultural values into its environmental review process, planning and implementation of the Revised Plan. This series will focus on the critical cultural components of both the SEIS and Revised Plan. For more information and the latest news about Turtle Bay Resort’s SEIS, please log onto www.turtlebayseis.com.
Turtle Bay Resort is home to three distinct North Shore Bays: Kawela Bay, Turtle Bay, and Kuilima Bay. The water quality in these areas has been studied regularly for the past twenty years and turbidity (presence of sediment) continues to be a persistent problem in the eastern extreme of Kawela Bay. Our Proposed Action includes rerouting Kawela Stream which will return it to the approximate location of its historical channel.
During the plantation era, Kawela Stream was diverted into Kawela Bay, from its natural outlet into Turtle Bay, for irrigation purposes. While Turtle Bay has strong currents that quickly flush stream borne sediment out to sea, this is not the case with Kawela Bay. The offshore reefs that protect Kawela Bay from the forces of the ocean limit water circulation within the bay and inhibit sediment dispersion. With every heavy rain, the sediments in the bay increases and is often slow to dissipate.
Our Proposed Action of rerouting Kawela Stream is anticipated to have a significant favorable impact on the water quality in Kawela Bay because the source of much of the sediment load entering the bay will be removed. Furthermore, it is anticipated that with time, sediment on the floor of the bay will eventually flush out to sea.
Our goal is to improve near-shore water quality. Short-term impacts will include some water quality degradation resulting from short-term construction activities, operational impacts pertaining to storm runoff and drainage control. These impacts are not anticipated to be significant because best management practices will continue to be employed during operational activities and anticipated construction activities. The possibility of significant adverse impacts will be outlined in the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).
Furthermore, although a 1986 Special Management Area Use Permit allows for the development of up to 1,000 hotel units in the Opana-Kawela ahupua‘a (you may view the map at http://turtlebayseis.com/the-plan/resort-plan/), because of strong public sentiment in preserving Kawela Bay, our Proposed Action includes two projects with a total of 225 resort residential units in an area of approximately 60 acres. No Hotels. Additionally, all buildings will be set back a minimum of 300 feet from the certified shoreline from Kawela Bay and along the shoreline east of Kawela Point, all buildings will be set back a minimum of 150 feet.
You may log onto www.turtlebayseis.com for more details about the SEIS Preparation Notice and more details of our Proposed Action.