TOM FINNEGAN / TFINNEGAN@STARBULLETIN.COM The pools at Lydgate Park remain closed because debris from last week's rains still clogs the popular snorkeling spot.

Lydgate pools remain closed

The popular spot for snorkeling on Kauai is clogged with debris

WAILUA, Kauai » The pools at Lydgate Park, a popular sight for snorkelers, remain closed as debris from last week's rains has yet to be removed.

And it's going to be at least a few more days before the huge logs, brush, and other flotsam is cleaned out, county officials said.

The two pools, which sit near the mouth of the Wailua River, are often closed after heavy rains. But debris was so backed up in the enclosures that in the smaller pool, it was impossible to see where the beach ends and the water begins.

Other spots at the mouth of the Wailua remain black with silt. Since the river's source is Mount Waialeale, which received more than two feet of rain in the past few weeks, the runoff has been massive, a bit worse than usual.

According to a story in the Garden Island Newspaper yesterday, volunteers picked up dead animal carcasses from the pools, including chickens and pigs. But county officials could not confirm that report.

County officials did say that the water is likely contaminated with bacteria, adding an extra risk factor to those wishing to enter the pools, which are sandy bottom areas protected by boulders from the surf and large fish. Smaller fish do enter the enclosures, making it a popular snorkeling spot for beginners.

County public information officer Mary Daubert said yesterday that the county will have to make an emergency procurement to hire a contractor with heavy machinery to clean the debris out.

But, she said, with additional rains forecast for later this week, that won't happen until the rains cease.