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Water Ways Ray Pendleton |
Trash-berg solutions
are neededBy now, I'm sure veteran Water Ways readers are familiar with the term "trash-bergs" when I'm describing the kind of waterborne refuse Waikiki residents see floating down the Ala Wai Canal.
They are, to some extent, like their iceberg namesakes, as they pose a definite threat to navigation, but beyond that, the two have very little in common.
After all, icebergs are a natural phenomenon where large chunks of glacier ice are "calved" into the ocean and then float around until they melt away, causing no pollution or other threat to the ecosystem.
On the other hand, the existence of trash-bergs is far from natural, as they are largely composed of material humans have chosen to dispose of in the local watershed.
Certainly, one can find the occasional coconut or palm frond, but the majority of a trash-berg's composition is made up of cut logs, limbs and branches, and a wide variety of wood, plastic, rubber and foam containers.
For boat operators, these materials create multiple hazards. The heavy objects can damage a boat's hull or propeller and the lighter ones can foul propellers and clog through-hulls.
And, of course, once these materials reach the ocean, they often become a threat to wildlife as well as reef and shoreline pollution.
During the last few weeks of on-and-off rainstorms, apparently Mother Nature's flushing action has outpaced the upstream polluters, as it has been possible to observe a definite decline in the volume of debris in the Ala Wai.
But it has also been possible to witness a major flaw in our state's system for capturing trash-bergs before they escape to the sea.
Partially hidden beneath the Ala Moana bridge is a recently rebuilt debris trap created by the walls of the canal and bridge support, and a number of log-like floats with underwater screens.
As the trash-bergs drift downstream, they tend to follow the Diamond Head side of the canal and are often caught in this debris trap. If they are scooped out in a timely manner, the system works.
When the system fails, it's when the caretakers of the trap -- the Department of Boating and Ocean Recreation -- fail to have the accumulated refuse removed fast enough, as it has done repeatedly in the last couple of weeks.
The refuse is only held captive in the trap by the downstream flow of rainwater or by our northeast tradewinds.
When the rains stop and a southerly Kona wind sets in, the trash-bergs back out of the trap and generally find their way into the marina and/or the ocean.
To its credit, DOBOR did have several tons of debris removed after the first heavy downpour a few weeks ago. But since then, the trap has been filled numerous times with many more tons of trash that has subsequently been allowed to escape.
One possible way to avoid this re-occurring dilemma might be for DOBOR personnel to monitor the trap more often during storms and to close the trap with a boom on the mauka end when it is full or its contents are beginning to float out.
I understand that in some past decade this was a standard procedure, so perhaps it could be reintroduced.
Still, another solution to the problem might be to address it at its source by finding ways to apprehend those who subject our watersheds to such pollution.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Ray Pendleton is a free-lance writer based in Honolulu.
His column runs Saturdays in the Star-Bulletin.
He can be reached by e-mail at raypendleton@mac.com.