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PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XXII, April 1968 
TABLE 1 
Beach Sand Reservoirs, Hawaiian Islands 
ISLAND 
total volume 
1 0 6 yd 3 
MILES OF COASTLINE 
VOLUME PER 
MILE TOTAL 
COASTLINE 
10 3 yd 3 
VOLUME PER 
MILE SANDY 
COASTLINE 
10 3 yd 3 
TOTAL 
SANDY 
Niihau 
3.96 
43.0 
19.0 
92.2 
208.7 
Kauai 
13.96 
113.4 
41.2 
123.1 
338.9 
Oahu 
10.28 
129.0* 
50.3 
79.7 
204.4 
Molokai 
2.95 
105.9 
21.9 
27.9 
134 9 
Lanai 
1.70 
52.3 
18.2 
32.4 
93.4 
Maui 
5.02 
158.8 
32.6 
31.6 
153.8 
Hawaii 
1.68 
305.5 
19.4 
5.5 
86.5 
Total 
39.56 
av. 56.0 
av. 174.4 
* Excluding Pearl Harbor, Sand Island, and parts of Kaneohe Bay. 
TABLE 2 
Beach Sand Reservoirs, Niihau 
COASTAL ZONE 
OR BEACH* 
SUMMATION 
OF BEACH 
LENGTHS 
(yards) 
AVERAGE 
SAND 
VOLUMEf 
10 3 yd 3 
Puukole Pt- 
Lehua Landing 
1760 
70.0 
Lehua Landing- 
Palikoae 
300 
6.0 
Palikoae-Keawanui 
1760 
17.6 
Keawanui 
7040 
1689.0 
Kaununui Bay 
2640 
396.0 
Kaununui Bay-Paliuli 
3520 
140.8 
Paliuli-Nonopapa 
2000 
360.0 
Nonopapa-Makahauena 
2640 
211.2 
Kamalino 
100 
6.0 
Kahaino 
100 
6.0 
Leahi 
100 
6.0 
Kawaihoa-Oiamoi 
1760 
105.6 
Oiamoi-Poooneone 
1760 
211.2 
Poooneone-Poleho 
2640 
316.8 
Poleho-Kii 
3520 
316.8 
Kii-Puokola 
1760 
105.6 
* Listed counterclockwise from northwestern coast of island, 
f Volumes obtained from a single set of profiles in 1963, 
supplemented by aerial photographs and maps. 
northeastern and southeastern coasts. Average 
beach sand reservoirs were computed for the 
remaining sections of the coast (Table 8). 
Almost all of the beach sand on Lanai is 
found along the northern and eastern coasts 
(Table 9), and at Polihua, the largest single 
reservoir, the volume is more than l/ 2 million 
cubic yards. Average beach sand reservoirs for 
the remaining sections of the coast are given in 
Table 10. 
The largest beach sand reservoirs on Maui 
(Table 11) are found on the southwestern 
coast of Haleakala, on the northern coast near 
Sprecklesville, and along the western coast of 
West Maui (Table 12). The entire eastern 
coastal portion of East Maui is nearly lacking 
in sand. 
The beach sand reservoirs are extremely 
small on the island of Hawaii (Tables 13 and 
14) ; Waipio and Hapuna are the only beaches 
where the sand volume exceeds 100,000 cubic 
yards. The northwest section of the island, 
especially just south of Kawaihae, has the 
largest reservoirs. Along the flanks of Mauna 
Loa and Kilauea volcanoes few beaches are 
present. 
nearshore reservoirs: The sand-size par- 
ticles moving thorugh the littoral sand system 
may be deposited temporarily in one of several 
littoral environments other than that of the 
beach. 
Reef Channel. Particles produced by the at- 
trition of reef flora and fauna frequently are 
transported through a complex series of reef 
environments before being brought onto the 
beach, and even after reaching the beach they 
may be transported back and forth seasonally 
between the beach and reef before they are 
finally carried out of the littoral zone into deep 
water, or blown inland by the wind, or other- 
wise lost. Any channel or depression across the 
nearshore zone acts as a trap for this littoral 
sand. 
Around the Hawaiian Islands the fringing 
