Trash-bergs reappear
after rains

As I write this column, the remnants of Hurricane Darby are pouring rain down on Oahu, including on what's known as the Ala Wai Canal Watershed.

This watershed stretches from the peaks of the Koolau Mountains to the beaches of Waikiki and is composed of sub-watersheds that include Manoa, Palolo, Makiki, Tantalus, Kaimuki, Kapahulu, Kakaako, Ala Moana, McCully, Moiliili and St. Louis Heights.

Except for what water may be absorbed by the earth, the rest of the rain that falls in this watershed will eventually flow --via streams, street gutters, storm drains and the Ala Wai Canal -- into the Ala Wai harbor and then out to sea.

Naturally, as this water flows along, it picks up anything that floats, be it natural or manmade, and brings it along for the ride.

In less developed islands like those in Tahiti, the preponderance of the visible material carried to the sea this way is of a natural origin, such as eroded earth, coconuts and palm fronds, and we see that here as well.

But, due to Oahu's much higher state of urbanization, the natural water-borne refuse is combined with plastic, Styrofoam and rubber products of every size and description.

And, of course there's the less visible, but more toxic pollution of pesticides, herbicides, petroleum products and heavy metals that is carried in the runoff as well.

On this rainy morning, I can look out my office window and watch two men throwing nets into the Ala Wai's murky water and I can't help wondering where the fish they catch will end up.

Will they just take a chance with their own health by eating their catch, or will those fish be sold in some market or offered to a restaurant's patrons?

Just the thought brings a whole new perspective to "local, fresh-caught fish" and I can't help but wonder what our health department thinks about the matter.

The view from my window also includes the state's floating trash trap in the Ala Wai Canal beneath the Ala Moana Bridge.

As I've mentioned in other Water Ways columns, while the trap's contents are less than attractive, the trap does, in fact, actually capture several tons of refuse that would otherwise flow into the harbor -- providing the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Boating Division keeps an eye on it.

Unfortunately, as I watch, there is an apparent level of inattention being displayed by the harbormaster as tons of floating trash are currently by-passing the trap and are creating trash-bergs that threaten the boats in the marina.

This by-pass occurs when the floating booms used to keep trash within the trap are left closed, so the refuse floating down the canal backs up at this obstruction and begins to flow around it.

Had the earlier, months-long collection of trash been removed from the trap in a timely manner, perhaps the trap would have been open now to accept this storm's offerings.

We might also speculate on how much of the visible and invisible pollution that continuously floats into the marina might have never reached it if the city had a comprehensive street-sweeping plan in operation.

Or, equally important, what if our citizens had more respect for the laws against littering and illegal dumping?