Water quality in Kapoho Vacationland

[PaulW]

Any good maps? Google Maps isn't clear on which is which.

[Orchidlandguy]

current water conditions in Kapoho Pahoa warm pond pool
Champagne Pond is contaminated and stinks BIG TIME. I was there this morning. It is filthy. I swim at Pahoa public pool every day so thought I would go see Champagne Pond stench for myself.
AWFUL SMELL there this morning. Really filthy in the bushes and dog poop on several areas of the lava nearby the shore.
NO FACILITIES at all and the bushes are full of toilet paper.
I think others should go see for themselves.
Glad this was brought up, think everyone should go smell for themselves.
IT STINKS. I would like to see water quality 2011 for Kapoho Vacationland Pohoa tidepoola tide pools and for the other Kapoho waters, especially Champagne Pond, Kapoho, Pahoa.
If you are concerned with folks writing to trip advisor about how awful your Kapaho ocean ponds are, then you need to include Kapoho Champagne Pond and Kapoho Warm Pond there is stink and filthy water in Kapoho. Kapoho is kapoho. You can't say let's only talk about one area of Kapoho and not others. That's like criticising someone for talking about one area of HPP and not others... odd.

Trip Advisor (or tripadvisor) should say that Pohoa Kapoho Vacationland tide pools should state that this tidepool area has NO toilets in the tide pool area.
Thus, the people who come with children and picnics have NO PLACE TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES. There are alwyas families there with small children. Some have those "swim-able dipers" on. Small children need to poop pretty often. Also with the count being 15 to 30 people there on last Saturday, I nknow the possibility of pooping all along that shore and in the bushes and in the water is happening. People go there for a few hours or the entire day. Where can they poop? Lots of toilet paper in the bushes. It is disgusting.
Water quality for April 2011? I would say horrible. I guess trip advisor should have this on their site to lhave people warned that there are no toilet facilities and large amounts of people = human waste in Kapoho Tide Pools tidepools.

edited to have this on google search Kapoho Vacationland Waiopae Tide pools

[leilaniguy]

The stink and mess is almost all caused by visitors. Awhile back Emily said something about getting portapotties on the state land beyond the Beachlots. Whatever happened to that idea?

[Orchidlandguy]

two links to Kapoho water quality:
Kapoho is Kapoho


http://emdweb.doh.hawaii.gov/CleanWaterB...ier=001113

http://emdweb.doh.hawaii.gov/CleanWaterB...ier=001145

[Orchidlandguy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by leilaniguy

The stink and mess is almost all caused by visitors. Awhile back Emily said something about getting portapotties on the state land beyond the Beachlots. Whatever happened to that idea?

---

ya, right, when locals go to spend the day there with their children they all hold it and don't pee and poop at all.
Locals are the ones who spend the day with the picnics and lots to drink to enjoy the day. Are you saying the locals don't pee and poop?

[leilaniguy]

No, what I was saying is the problem is not caused by residents of The Beachlots. They HAVE toilets. Of course nearly all the visitors are local, most tourists couldn't find the road in.

[freestate]

Thought I should add that the message I wrote on the other thread concerning human waste in the water at Kapoho tidepools was from personal experience snorkeling there. Although my experience is dated since its been about 18 months since I've visited.

Last experience snorkeling and having multiple sitings of fecal matter and toilet paper in the water was enough.

However I have no vendetta against Kapoho and if the problem is solved I would only have great things to say about the snorkeling and the beauty of the spot.

As far as the hotpond goes, not interested. I learned enough in Biology 101 to know what a Petri dish that place is; and the stories of the lack of security in the area don't help.

I understand emergencies do happen but going to an area without facilities for a length of time and not bringing your own camping pottie is just CLASSY.

[Rob Tucker]

It is a crying shame that DLNR is such a useless waste of taxpayers dollars.

The whole Champaign Pond problem developed because a few years back someone illegally bulldozed a rough roadway to the pond and from that date to this DLNR has done squat about controlling that illegal access. Prior to the bulldozer people would walk in and by walking in were reasonably limited in what they brought to the site. And they used the pond in a semblance of balance with the residents. The illegal road meant pick up trucks, coolers of beer, baby strollers, fast food and massively accelerated the decline of a really rather secret local lovely spot. Then it got ratcheted up another notch by some author of tourist books publishing the access.

All this time DLNR has done absolutely nothing.

Emily Naeole talked about doing stuff and I have to say that in her defense she probably got the same response from DLNR that I did. Nothing.

I think everyone who cares about Kapoho should turn up the heat on DLNR with the Mayor, with the Senate, with the House of Representatives
and keep the heat turned up until one of two things happen: 1) Close the illegal road access or 2) improve the road and add toilet facilities.

Just my five cents.

[Obie]

The topic was Kapoho Vacationland.

The Champagne Pond problem is a separate issue.
The road is on state land and that is the reason Emily couldn't do anything.

As Kat mentioned we do what we can here in Vacationland.On the weekends we have an Information person who is paid by a grant from the Hawaii tourism authority.The residents of Vacationland applied for and got this grant.
During the week we take turns patrolling on a golf cart and bikes.We inform people they shouldn't use peoples yards as a bathroom.
We pick up the trash and try to make Vacationland a nice place to visit.
We built the parking area and put up the signs showing people where to park.
We are currently trying to get permission to repave the damaged section of road and have been trying to get it approved for several years.When it's approved we will spend around $100000 dollars to pave the road.
We have continued to allow access to our private neighborhood and have not put up a gate to keep people from driving into our neighborhood.
If you can decipher the water quality results, you will see that Kapoho Vacationland had one water quality exceedance in the last year.At about the same time Richardson Beach had one that was 3 times higher than Vacationland's.

[Orchidlandguy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Obie

The topic was Kapoho Vacationland.

The Champagne Pond problem is a separate issue.
The road is on state land and that is the reason Emily couldn't do anything.

As Kat mentioned we do what we can here in Vacationland.On the weekends we have an Information person who is paid by a grant from the Hawaii tourism authority.The residents of Vacationland applied for and got this grant.
During the week we take turns patrolling on a golf cart and bikes.We inform people they shouldn't use peoples yards as a bathroom.
We pick up the trash and try to make Vacationland a nice place to visit.
We built the parking area and put up the signs showing people where to park.
We are currently trying to get permission to repave the damaged section of road and have been trying to get it approved for several years.When it's approved we will spend around $100000 dollars to pave the road.
We have continued to allow access to our private neighborhood and have not put up a gate to keep people from driving into our neighborhood.
If you can decipher the water quality results, you will see that Kapoho Vacationland had one water quality exceedance in the last year.At about the same time Richardson Beach had one that was 3 times higher than Vacationland's.

---

what cha doin about the folks who come all day with coolers loaded with drinks and tons of people and kids.
Where do they relieve themselves?
Disgusting.