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    • HECO annually conducts and reports results of a biological monitoring program for waters receiving effluent from the Kahe Generating Station, O'ahu, Hawai'i from 1977 to 1996 (NCEI Accession 9900012)

    Metadata Updated: June 1, 2025

    The volume of sand and silt entrained and circulated by operation of the Kahe Generating Station is an environmental parameter of considerable geological and biological importance. Wave-suspended sediments are carried in cooling water through the station's condensers and discharged from the station's outfall. Sediment entrainment represents a potential loss of sand from the littoral system which consequently affects the supply of sand available to maintain beach configurations in the area. Biologically, deposition of entrained sand off the outfall and the distribution of silt suspended in the thermal plume represent potential stressors for benthic (bottom-dwelling) organisms, which may have no mechanisms for ridding themselves of sediments, or must expend energy to do so. Burial of hard reef surfaces by sand and silt diminishes the surface area available for recruitment of sessile benthic organisms and eliminates habitat of motile benthos and demersal fishes.

    HECO has monitored sediment entrainment and throughput related to the station's circulating cooling water system since 1977. The startup of Kahe Unit 6 resulted in a noticeable increase of annual sediment entrainment rates. However, Hurricane Iwa reduced sand levels along the entire Kahe reef front in late 1982, and sediment entrainment values have been steadily declining since. This is because less sand has been available near the intake to be entrained. The following study presents the eighteenth year of sediment entrainment monitoring with six Kahe units in operation.

    Access & Use Information

    License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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    Dates

    Metadata Date 2022-07-06T16:57:39Z
    Metadata Created Date December 4, 2020
    Metadata Updated Date June 1, 2025
    Reference Date(s) November 19, 2002 (publication)
    Frequency Of Update asNeeded

    Metadata Source

    Harvested from NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions

    Other Data Resources

    Graphic Preview

    Graphic not available.

    Additional Metadata

    Resource Type Dataset
    Metadata Date 2022-07-06T16:57:39Z
    Metadata Created Date December 4, 2020
    Metadata Updated Date June 1, 2025
    Reference Date(s) November 19, 2002 (publication)
    Responsible Party (Point of Contact)
    Contact Email
    Guid gov.noaa.nodc:9900012
    Access Constraints Cite as: Coles, Steven L.; Hawaiian Electric Company (2002). HECO annually conducts and reports results of a biological monitoring program for waters receiving effluent from the Kahe Generating Station, O'ahu, Hawai'i from 1977 to 1996 (NCEI Accession 9900012). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/9900012. Accessed [date]., Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
    Bbox East Long 158.1
    Bbox North Lat 21.4
    Bbox South Lat 21.4
    Bbox West Long 158.1
    Coupled Resource
    Frequency Of Update asNeeded
    Graphic Preview Description Graphic not available.
    Graphic Preview File https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/gfx?id=gov.noaa.nodc:9900012
    Graphic Preview Type PNG
    Harvest Object Id 69aba7f6-3eca-4048-84ed-966eb296da96
    Harvest Source Id c084a438-6f6b-470d-93e0-16aeddb9f513
    Harvest Source Title NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions
    Licence accessLevel: Public
    Lineage
    Metadata Language eng
    Metadata Type geospatial
    Old Spatial {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [158.1, 21.4]}
    Progress completed
    Spatial Data Service Type
    Spatial Reference System
    Spatial Harvester True
    Temporal Extent Begin 1977-01-01
    Temporal Extent End 1996-04-22

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