Historically, the area surrounding Kaelepulu pond was marshy wetland used for growing taro and rice.

According to one recent account, the settling basin in the Bluffs housing area was once a taro farm because of the many springs in the area.

Clyde Tamura, of the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering at UH Manoa was a principal investigator of the TMDL Study conducted for the Hawaii Department of Health. His report states that he found springs in the area, and these springs produce more than 11,000 gallons of fresh water per day, summer and winter. This is not rainwater runoff. His report refers to test sites 5 and 31, both close to the LACUS LLC property.

Click here to download the complete  Kaelupulu Progress_Report_Dec2011Revised.

Trenches dug by LACUS LLC, on multiple years, revealed ground water just a couple of feet down. This ground water is about 10 feet above the Kaelepulu pond level.