The Ala Wai Canal is a significant part of Honolulu’s landscape, but it wasn’t always planned as the modest waterway that exists today. The canal’s history tells a fascinating story of early 20th-century Honolulu—marked by ambitions to modernize and expand, challenges with natural geography, and the complexities of urban planning.
Origins and Motivation
In the early 1900s, the land where Waikiki and the Ala Wai Canal now stand was predominantly wetlands. The area was known for its marshes and taro fields, with natural springs and several streams that flooded the land. It was a richly biodiverse area, home to native Hawaiian flora, fauna, and agricultural practices. However, as Honolulu began to grow in population and tourism potential, local developers and politicians looked to expand the city westward. The marshy conditions posed challenges to urbanization and created a breeding ground for mosquitoes, raising public health concerns.
The driving force behind the Ala Wai Canal project was an ambitious urban planner named Lucius E. Pinkham, then president of the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce and later the Territorial Governor of Hawaii. Pinkham’s vision was to drain and reclaim the wetlands for commercial development, with the canal serving as both a drainage system and a navigable waterway to support Honolulu’s growing economy and tourism industry.
The Design and Purpose of the Canal
In 1921, the project received funding from the territorial government, and Pinkham’s plan came to life. His vision included a canal that would encircle Waikiki, running through the swampy areas to drain excess water, stabilize land, and mitigate the risk of flooding. The Ala Wai Canal was designed to divert the waters from streams that naturally flowed into the area. These included the Manoa, Palolo, and Makiki streams, which were rerouted to empty into the canal, then into the Pacific Ocean.
Aside from drainage, the canal was meant to provide recreational opportunities and create a scenic route for residents and visitors. The name “Ala Wai,” meaning “waterway” in Hawaiian, reflects this purpose as a channel to connect the community with water.
The Original Plan and Why It Wasn’t Completed
Originally, the canal was supposed to extend further and connect directly with the ocean at both ends. The planned route would have started near Diamond Head, stretching past Waikiki and connecting with the ocean near the Kakaako district. This design would have allowed better drainage and potentially created a circular canal loop around Waikiki.
However, several factors prevented the project from reaching its full intended scope. One major obstacle was the natural sandy soils and coral formations in Waikiki, which made construction difficult and costly. Additionally, World War II shifted resources and priorities away from urban development in Honolulu, focusing instead on military and defense infrastructure.
As a result, the canal was shortened, and its main outlet was placed near Ala Moana Beach Park, where it discharges into the ocean at its western end. This unfinished design led to limited water circulation within the canal, which over the years has contributed to sediment buildup and water quality issues.
The Canal’s Impact and Legacy
The Ala Wai Canal has had a lasting impact on Honolulu’s development. It successfully transformed the wetlands of Waikiki, allowing for the dense urban and tourism hub that exists today. However, the canal also presented unintended consequences, such as pollution, especially as stormwater runoff and debris accumulated over decades.
Over the years, the canal has been used recreationally, but water quality concerns have prevented it from reaching its full potential. Various improvement projects have been proposed, including dredging and water quality initiatives, and there have been discussions about opening another outlet to the ocean to improve circulation.
Today, the Ala Wai Canal remains an iconic part of Honolulu, capturing the complex history of urban expansion, environmental challenges, and evolving community needs. While it didn’t fulfill its original grand design, it nonetheless played a crucial role in shaping modern Waikiki and remains a testament to Honolulu’s changing landscape.
