​Weddings Beach May soon file a divorce 

with the mainland of Maui… 

 
Makena Cove, Maui, HI 
 
September 2018 

Prepared For: 
Makena Cove 
6468 Makena Alanui, Kihei, HI 96753 
 
Prepared By:  
Kihei Charter High School Students 
Nehemiah Kuhaulua 
Kaleigh Trice 
Jessica Priest
 Project Summary  
 
Project: 
Makena Cove Erosion Proposal 
 
Location: 
Makena, Maui, Hawaii 
 
Proposed Action: 
We plan to use groynes which trap sand that the waves have moved along the beach and 
prevent the sand being moved too far. 
 
Estimated Cost: 
The estimated cost t​ hey are likely to 6,000-13,000 per linear metre for​ Groynes which is 
probably around the 100,000 mark due to the amount of space that is needed, and the 
amount of wall that we need.  
 
Time Frame: 
The construction will start when everything is ready with the permits and approvals of 
building the wall. The time of construction will vary depending on the amount of workers and 
the climate. 
 
Members: 
Kaleigh Trice  
Jessica Priest 
Nehemiah Kuhaulua 
 
 
 
 
 Table of Contents 
1. Title Page ………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 1 
2. Project Summary ………………………………………………………………………………… Page 2 
★ Project & Members 
★ Location & Time 
★ Action & Cost  
3. Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………………….. Page 3 
4. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 4 
★ Main Plan 
★ Purpose 
5. Environmental Setting ……………………………………………………………………… Page 5 & 6 
★ Climate 
★ Tide & Sea Level Rise 
★ Waves & Backshore 
6. Overview of Affected Environment ……………………………………………… Page 6 & 7 
7. Physical Plan ………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 7 
8. Alternatives …………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 7 & 8 
★ Sandbags & Sea Wall 
★ Artificial Sand & Vegetation 
9. Potential Impacts …………………………………………………………………………………… Page 9 & 10 
 
10. Potential impacts with no action/works cited……………………………….Page 11 & 12 
 Introduction 
 
Coastal erosion has been an issue that Hawaii needs to fix. With our beaches shrinking 
and water levels rising, our island is in danger. This project will focus on our ideas and how we 
can help decrease the erosion on Maui. In groups of three or less, we must choose a beach on 
Maui that has been a victim of erosion and try to find an affordable solution to halt the 
amount of beach we are losing. 
 
Main plan 
Our plan for this project is to use groynes. These trap sand that the waves have 
moved along the beach and prevent the sand being moved too far. A man-made barrier built 
across a beach (from the back of the beach down into the sea). Groynes are usually made of 
wood or concrete and are built to trap sand and hold it on the beach.The pictures below will 
show how the sea levels are rising more and more which in turn washes away our beaches. 
We would also most likely need to buy sand from a source, we’re not exactly sure how much 
that would cost. It would replace the sand that has been taken away and help rebuild the 
actual sand that was on the rocks. This will help increase the amount of beach as well, since 
most of it is made out of rocks that could possibly be dangerous to younger children and 
elderly people. The restoration will be slow, but it will be effective. We were also thinking 
about possibly laminating sand somehow so that it would stick to the rocks and take longer 
to wash away but that’s farther into the future.  
 
Purpose 
The idea of groynes is to capture sand that moves down the beach via longshore drift 
and help build up a larger section of beach in front of an area that's experiencing coastal 
erosion. Since groynes will capture the sand it will help the beaches and sea life because of it 
being a barrier. If we somehow figure out a way to laminate sand to have it stick to the rocks 
then it would be harder for it to be washed away. Then we could layer up the sand and if it 
gets washed away, then there is still a layer of sand that would stay on the shore. 
 
 Environmental Setting 

Climate: 
Since Makena didn’t have a specific climate 
we looked up the actual climate of Maui, and 
it takes on a more modern, tropical 
environment. There is little to no rain, and 
pretty humid days, with the sun glaring down 
on us. The temperature in Makena cove 
usually ranges from 70-90 degrees on a 
given day. Which makes it the ideal spot for 
most tourists in Maui as it is pretty secluded 
as well.  
 
 
 
Tide:  
For right now, the tide is pretty high at the cove 
due to the fact that it is high tide. Usually it 
would be lower. Except for the fact that when 
the tide comes in, it hits the rocks which makes 
the waves higher, and more likely to take the 
sand off the rocks. The sand is also more 
slanted now than it used to be because of the 
constant waves and the constant crashing 
against the rocks. Which has also worn the 
rocks down a bit, to where you can walk over 
them and they are breaking.  
 
 
Sea Level Rise: 
The sea level rise is way higher than it was 
this is because of high climate change and 
global warming ​that is driving the thermal 
expansion of seawater while melting 
land-based ice sheets and glaciers, basically 
global warming. As the sea level rises the 
more coastal erosion results in permanent 
land loss.
Waves:  
The waves at Makena Cove are pretty high at the 
point when we took these photos. As you can 
see in the picture to the side. In the spray zone, 
they were around 4 feet at their highest peak, 4’3 
if a larger set came in, but if you were coming 
from the bottom where they were rising, it would 
be around 5’7. It came up on the shore around 3 
or 4 feet above the watermark washing away a 
few inches of sand with each time the waves 
crashed and drew back out. It continued for the 
hour or so that we were there watching them.

Backshore Composition:  
There’s not much backshore left on the 
beach due to the constant bringing back of 
the sand to the ocean, it’s fairly tilted 
downwards as well now. There is still shore, 
especially seen in this scene from the 
perspective I took it in. But from the other 
perspective there is a massive slope of the 
sand, towards the water and it messes up 
the actual format where the rocks are. 
 Overview of Affected Environment 
 
The overview was a really hard thing to figure out due to the entirety of the project 
and not that much information about Makena cove and what types of animals that it 
harbors. The water quality is alright, like most other parts of the ocean around Maui. It ranges 
from hot to cold, depending on the season which is pretty normal. In the summer and fall, 
the temperature is around 80-90 degrees, while in the winter and spring, the water gets 
cooler, to the around 60s or 70s. The biodiversity down there is pretty much failing due to 
the constant waves and constant high tide which makes it hard for animals and plants to stay 
put there. There are certain fish but not many since they are either killed or they get stuck in 
the tidepools that were made by erosion, or they were taken back out to sea. The air quality 
is normal for Hawaii air, there’s no pollution really, there are smokers from time to time down 
there though, hardly any wind as well.  
 
The historics of this beach are fairly limited, as it is mostly used for weddings, a lot of 
weddings, giving it the nickname wedding beach. It’s a fairly secluded spot close to Makena 
beach. One of people’s most important steps happens here which makes it a popular beach 
where a lot of memories happen. People don’t want to lose that sort of thing which is why 
we are trying to save it. There are houses around, but most of them aren’t really used, since 
it’s pretty much vacation rentals, like most of the beach houses on the island. Although they 
are being affected by the sand loss as well. Soon the houses will be next to nothing, they will 
lose value and the people who own them won’t be able to either get them back, or build new 
houses on the beach, because you still need roads from place to place and I wouldn’t think 
that the county would want to replace or move the roads due to someone wanting to build 
their house there.  
 
In the end, there are a lot of special qualities to this beach and a lot of people have 
memories with this beach. There needs to be a way to save it and to stop the receding of 
sand. Back to the ocean. It’s good for the ocean but not good for the people since our main 
industry is tourism pretty much. Without the tourists then we lose money and houses go to 
waste. We also lose our beaches which I know a lot of people don’t want to lose them.  

Physical plan and financial breakdown 

 
Our physical plan is to create a wall out into the ocean called a Groynes. Since they 
are a pretty big man made thing in the UK. As the U.S hasn’t really used them before. 
Groynes are usually made of wood or concrete and are built to trap sand and hold it on the 
beach. But we could use a lighter and environmental type of ‘wood’ called polywood. Which 
is made out of plastic bottles and such, and made into wooden plank shapes. To make a 
complete groyne would cost about ​6,000-13,000 per linear meter. The amount that we’ll 
need for our beach would cost about​ $100,000. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Alternative considered 
Sandbags 
The use of sandbags is a simple but effective way to prevent or reduce flood water 
damage. Properly filled and placed sandbags can act as a barrier to divert moving water 
around, instead of through, buildings. Sandbags by themselves do not guarantee a 
water-tight seal, but are satisfactory for use in most situations. This idea is good, but we feel 
that it may add a more bulky look to the sand, making it less attractive to tourists who come 
in to go to the beach. They also cost a lot of money depending on how big they are, and 
where they are being placed because things like this could take up a lot of space especially 
when they are trying to cover a larger beach.  
 
Seawall 
A structure separating land and water areas. It is designed to prevent coastal erosion 
and other damage due to wave action and storm surge, such as flooding. Seawalls are 
normally very massive structures because they are designed to resist the full force of waves 
and storm surge. The only issue with that is that we don’t want to completely put a wall up to 
get rid of the beach entirely. It seems like a last scenario type thing that shouldn’t be used 
unless worse comes to worse and things do start getting washed away to a point of no 
return.  
 
Artificial Beach Nourishment 
Beach nourishment, or beach replenishment, is the practice of adding sand or 
sediment to beaches to combat erosion and increase beach width. If we were to do this, we 
would in the end have to come up with something that would help keep the sand on the 
shoreline. It may also cost a lot and not be a natural way of restoring sand to a beach. It may 
work for some beaches but maybe not all of them. We could use sand from the bottom of 
the sea, which may make life easier for everyone, but that would cost a lot as well.  
 
 
 
Vegetation 
Vegetation is a fairly good way to make sure that the sand doesn’t completely 
disappear, it’s a Strategic planting of vegetation can be used to help control erosion. the 
roots of coastal plants help to anchor the sand and ensure that it is not carried off in erosion. 
This is why many areas plant seagrass and build marshes along coasts to prevent erosion. 
However, this solution means that the beach may not be as functional as it once was, since 
this beach is full of tourism it wouldn't be the best alternative. 
 
 
Potential impacts 
 
Ecological Impact 
The ecological side of the solution will help the wildlife greatly. Monk seals and turtles 
drift up on shore from time to time. They need a soft and safe place to rest, but with the 
receding sand, the lava rocks are being uncovered. The sea life would have to travel farther 
up on the beach in order to relax. With our solution, the soft areas for sand will stay present 
and the rocks will be covered to a point where the animals won’t get hurt.  
 
 
Environmental Impact 
The environment surrounding the beach will also gain from the solution. The high 
tides has reached the entrance to the beach, resulting in the land getting deeper. The base of 
the trees next to the entrance used to be about 2’ under the sand that is currently there. The 
plants and vines around the rock wall that surrounds the beach have also lessen over time 
due to the water reaching to the entrance. With the Groynes, the waves won’t be able to 
reach past the lava rocks and the biotic factors will be safe.  
 
 
 
  
Social Impact 
The beach itself is already beautiful with its abiotic factors like the sunset and climate. People 
visit this beach all the time, so secrets beach isn’t really a secret. But if the lost sand that has 
been gone for years now is replaced and the lava rocks are covered, then the beach will still 
have its beauty, but now it’ll just have a wooden barrier to prevent erosion. People will still 
visit the beach to take their wedding pictures like normally. 
 
Noise Impact  
Noise isn’t a problem around the beach we chose. It’s a small secluded area deep in 
the south side. There are two homes that are on both sides of the beach, but they’re empty 
most of the year. The wildlife won’t be affected by the noise. 
 
Potential Impact of No Action  
 
Locations it would effect 
If no action was taken, then over time, the beach will slowly be covered in rocks. The 
lava rocks that juts out in the middle of the cove used to be covered in sand. The intertidal of 
the area is where the sand is sucked back into the ocean, if we don’t do something about that 
area, then the sand will continue to recede. There is already a dip leading into the shore, it 
used to be a small slope, but with the sand being washed away, the beach got larger. The lava 
rocks are sharp, if someone was swimming in the cove and got swept in, the they’d be 
propelled into the rocks, resulting in them being seriously injured. 
 
How no action would affect the organism that depend on the Intertidal Zone   
If no action was taken then more rocks will be uncovered. Opihi and sea snails’ habitat 
on the rocks around the area. They live off the biofilm, another form of algae, that form on 
the rocks. Since the amount of biodiversity on the rocks is widely ranged, the organisms 
living there will multiply. The lower portion of the rocks that had sand washed away has small 
fish in their tidepools. If the rocks continue to be cleaned of sand, than more fish will be 
washed up on in the pools. There are also Monk Seals that beach themselves on the sand, if 
the rocks are present like they are, than the seals could get hurt. 
 
 
Works Cited 
“​A Glossary of Ecological Terms.” T
​ he Four Pillars of Evil: A Depth-Informed Model​, 
www.terrapsych.com/ecology.html​. 
 
“Beachapedia.” ​Climate Change - Beachapedia​, www.beachapedia.org/Intertidal_Zone. 
Groynes​. Un Environment-DHI Centre , 
www.ctc-n.org/sites/www.ctc-n.org/files/resources/groynes_0.pdf​.  
 
“Maui Now: Impacts of Sea Level Rise May Be Greater than Estimated.” M
​ aui Now |  
Waterborne Illnesses in Hawaii​, 
mauinow.com/2018/09/29/hawaii-land-impacted-by-sea-level-rise-may-be-double
-previous-estimates/.  
 
“Rivers and Coasts - How Coasts Change.” ​BBC​, BBC, 
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/riversandcoasts/coasts/change_coast/pg_17.shtml?groyne​. 
 
“Soundscape Ecology.” ​Wikipedia​, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Sept. 2018, 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundscape_ecology.