Protect Wailūa Beach, Kauaʻi- Stop Sandsavers Project

Thanks to strong advocacy from the Surfrider Kauaʻi network and community members who spoke up to protect Wailūa Beach, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) has removed the proposed Sandsaver installation from the Kūhiō Highway Shoreline Mitigation Project. This marks a major victory for Wailūa Bay and for the community members who spoke up to protect this public trust shoreline.

The Kauaʻi Chapter launched the Stop Sandsavers campaign after HDOT proposed installing experimental Sandsaver structures as part of the shoreline mitigation project. The proposal positioned polyethylene plastic blocks (5 ft wide x 3 ft high x 4.75 ft deep) that would be placed in one to two arcs, spanning the entire beach so that they are submerged during high tide and partially exposed at lower tide. The proposed use of Sandsavers blocks would significantly restrict public access to the water and prevent safe recreation.

Community members, ocean users, and coastal experts raised concerns about the risks of installing this untested technology in a dynamic coastal environment and the potential impacts to beach access, recreation, and natural shoreline processes. The decision to remove Sandsavers from the proposal reflects the power of informed public engagement and science-based advocacy.

While the removal of Sandsavers is an important step forward, the work to protect Wailūa Beach is not finished. Surfrider will remain engaged to ensure the project protects public trust resources and prioritizes long-term solutions such as dune restoration and planning for the inland relocation of infrastructure as sea levels rise.