oahu north shore

An aerial view of Homes on the North Shore of Oahu at Laniakea Beach, considered a “hot spot” for erosion by a new report. Photo: Shutterstock


The Inertia

Oahu’s North Shore is rightfully considered one of the most unique stretches of beach in the world — especially considering the bounty it has long provided surfers.

So it’s no surprise that local residents feel alarmed about nearly three-quarters of the North Shore experiencing chronic erosion. That means major problems for homeowners and beach recreation, as well surf access threats.

To try and address this issue, Oahu residents have formed the North Shore Coastal Resilience Working Group, which includes the Surfrider Foundation’s Oahu Chapter. The newly formed coalition just released a report in October calling for a “managed retreat” in affected areas.

“The North Shore coastline faces imminent threats from coastal erosion and flooding, which are worsening with climate change and sea level rise,” the report states.

They’ve been working with Hawaii officials to identify the biggest problem areas and come up with longterm management solutions.

Working Group members have already identified three coastal erosion “hot spots” on the North Shore. They include the video-vlog staple of Rocky Point, the area near Laniakea (Turtle Beach) and the longboarding Mecca of Chuns, and also Mokuleia. Member groups in the coalition also include the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College, and consulting firm SSFM International.

Homebuilding has compounded the difficulty they face in managing the erosion. About 28 percent of beachfront residential properties are located 20 feet or less from the shoreline. That close proximity has major consequences for the environment, Lauren Blickley, a spokesperson for the Oahu Surfrider Foundation, told Hawaii News Now.

”While coastal erosion is a natural process, it has been accelerated by climate change and sea level rise and unfortunately private homes and public infrastructure have been built too close to the shoreline and the water’s edge and directly atop the natural dunes from which the shoreline would naturally replenish itself,” Blickley said.

oahu north shore

These spots are not safe. Photo: Shutterstock

While hardly a new problem, groups like the Surfrider Foundation believe it’s time to make a larger effort to save North Shore beaches.

Its 34-page report details several phases of improved coastal management over the next 25 years. The first phase entails pushing sand from low-lying areas back toward the shore. It also involves adding vegetation to restore dunes and limiting the use of sandbags.

The second phase, focused on five years out, recommends limiting beach access points. That would discourage walking down the beach, which pushes sand into the ocean.

In its 25-year recommendation, the group suggests a “managed retreat” of homes away from the ocean. Achieving that would almost certainly require government buyouts and tax incentives.

Of course, many homeowners wouldn’t be stoked with that solution. But as with so many problems exacerbated by climate change, the clock seems to be ticking.

”There has been at least one study that looked at the majority, something like 90 percent of the beaches on the North Shore, we expect to be highly eroding,” said Dolan Eversole, of the UH Sea Grant and the UH Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. “We would expect 10 inches of sea level rise probably in the next 20 to 30 years.”

However, there’s at least one positive sign that Hawaiian officials are starting to take the science seriously.

On Oct. 14, Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami signed a historic bill to regulate construction based on sea-level rise projections. That only came about because of a partnership between the University of Hawaii and local officials.

It remains to be seen if Oahu will take the same path, but the new North Shore Coastal Resilience Working Group is doing its best to ensure that the island’s iconic northern beaches stick around a little longer.

 
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