By utilizing the sediment to rebuild the eroded fishpond banks and deepening the water to reduce high temperatures and restore oxygen levels for the fish, the foundation will be using an innovative approach to restore a traditional fishpond. In the last half century, the fishpond has been congested by at least 3 feet of sediment, causing the bottom of the fishpond to rise closer to the surface. It’s really a sacred site and it’s a labor of love.” It’s not just a body of water that can and will generate fish and food. “For us, we feel like we’re letting her breathe again,” Decoito said in an interview. Together, they are the third largest existing wetland on Oahu, according to the MLEF website. Loko Ea and Uko’a are both sand-dune ponds in Waialua that are connected to the ocean by a stream.

The removal of the sediment will reconnect the fishpond to Uko’a, another fishpond a little over half a mile away. The 500-year-old Loko Ea fishpond will soon be able to produce over 4,000 pounds of fresh fish every year for the North Shore community.

Once the restoration is complete, the fishpond will produce over 4,000 pounds of fresh fish every year, according to a press release. The 404 Nationwide permit allows the organization to remove 15,000 cubic yards of sediment from the bottom of the fishpond, which will then be used to rebuild the fishpond’s eroding banks. Rae DeCoito, executive director of the Malama Loko Ea Foundation, said it has taken more than five years to acquire the necessary permits to begin dredging. A nonprofit organization will begin dredging the 500-year-old, 8-acre Loko Ea fishpond on the North Shore next week.

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