Click and drag on the dividing line to see the overlay of Google Maps and the 1977 drawing of the wetland

In 1977 the US Army Corps of Engineers requested Earthwatch Environmental Resource Investigators to prepare a report of Wetlands and Wetland Vegetation in Hawaii (Contract # DACW 84-77-C-0014) You may download a relevant portion of this report in PDF format. On page 108 of the original report (page 6 in the PDF file) is a map of wetlands of Kaelepulu Pond and surrounding areas.  The property encompassed by TMK 42083074, and 42083075 are clearly defined as wetland.

The property has remained unchanged from 1977 until September 2010 when LACUS LLC bought it. Since then he has tried to mow the California grass of the wetland area, and substantially grubbed the upland (non-wetland area). There were no BMPs or permits in place for any of this work.

After the heavy rains in March 2012, he dug drainage ditches to try to remove the standing water in the wetland. This was again done without BMPs or permits in place, and the result was a large silt plume in the Kaelepulu Wetland Bird Preserve. We notified the Department of Health, Clean Water Branch of the violations.