Here's a good 2019 article someone posted on Facebook: New Boat Ramp For Puna Recommended At Mālama Flats, Not Pohoʻiki.
It correctly cites the problem with sediment buildup at Pohoiki, noting that same problem might not occur elsewhere along the coast. Several inlets/bays/harbors have been dug out of solid lava on our island, including Honokohau Small Boat Harbor and Sheraton Waikaloa's big lagoon. They work fine, do not suffer debris build-up. Ditto for Ahalanui bathing pond before the eruption, mentioned by another poster above.
Interestingly, the black sand beach that sat in front of "new Kaimu" (out front of Uncle Roberts) is now gone after nearly 20 years of being there (it was gone when I last looked 4 months ago). We might be able to surmise that the giant waves that regularly strike the Puna shore will eventually drag most debris into the deep (ocean is very deep just 100 yards offshore).
But seven years on from the Kapoho eruption, this does not seem to have happened yet with a huge amount of debris that was thrown in the ocean at Kapoho Bay and south to the tidepools. That might mean any dredging project at Pohoiki is doomed to failure -- at least for the next few years. And it further might mean that any coastal projects have to be built on the shoreline north of Kapoho. As we know the sideshore current only carries the debris south, toward Pohoiki.
It correctly cites the problem with sediment buildup at Pohoiki, noting that same problem might not occur elsewhere along the coast. Several inlets/bays/harbors have been dug out of solid lava on our island, including Honokohau Small Boat Harbor and Sheraton Waikaloa's big lagoon. They work fine, do not suffer debris build-up. Ditto for Ahalanui bathing pond before the eruption, mentioned by another poster above.
Interestingly, the black sand beach that sat in front of "new Kaimu" (out front of Uncle Roberts) is now gone after nearly 20 years of being there (it was gone when I last looked 4 months ago). We might be able to surmise that the giant waves that regularly strike the Puna shore will eventually drag most debris into the deep (ocean is very deep just 100 yards offshore).
But seven years on from the Kapoho eruption, this does not seem to have happened yet with a huge amount of debris that was thrown in the ocean at Kapoho Bay and south to the tidepools. That might mean any dredging project at Pohoiki is doomed to failure -- at least for the next few years. And it further might mean that any coastal projects have to be built on the shoreline north of Kapoho. As we know the sideshore current only carries the debris south, toward Pohoiki.