Removing volcanic material from Pohoiki Bay through dredging

A Draft Environmental Assessment examining a plan restore Pohoiki Bay “to a shape and depth that resembles pre-eruption conditions to the extent possible” is now available.

The Pohoiki Boat Ramp Dredging of Volcanic Debris Draft EA was published in The Environmental Notice for April 23.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, with the help of The Limtiaco Consulting Group, is proposing to restore navigational access to the landlocked boat ramp by removing accumulated material from Pohoiki Bay through excavation and dredging.

The volcanic material “would be placed in areas of new lava or new beach that are away from the ocean”, the document said.

The Kīlauea Volcano eruption of 2018 disrupted the use of the Pohoiki Boat Ramp facility in the Puna District.

Ocean rescue services, commercial fishing, ocean/volcano tours, recreational opportunities, and food sustainability practices of the Puna community are negatively affected by the closure of the boat ramp, which is undamaged but landlocked by accumulated volcanic debris.

The Pohoiki Boat Ramp facility is owned and maintained by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation.

Accumulated material consisting of sand, rock, and cobble currently blocks navigational access to the Pacific Ocean.