A Management Tool for Assessing Beach Carrying Capacity: Hulopo'e Beach Park, Lāna'i

Abstract

There is an urgent need to develop mitigation strategies that reduce the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activity to coastal environments. The purpose of this study is to develop a beach carrying capacity tool for the advancement of beach management and preservation. This tool incorporates various factors that may govern beach visitor use including usable area, environmental limitations such as wind and rain, and the adequacy of managerial facilities. A survey was distributed to 155 Lānaʻi residents who frequently visit Hulopoʻe beach park, Lānaʻi. The survey consisted of questions related to general beach use and the adequacy of beach park facilities. Historic precipitation and wind rates were collected from the National Weather Service at the Lānaʻi airport station (2022-2023) to determine environmental limitations on beach use. We developed four hypothetical scenarios by varying three independent variables: the physical area of the beach, the spacing between guests and the adequacy rating of beach facilities. Results from these scenarios revealed that the largest influence on beach carrying capacity at Hulopoʻe beach park is the spacing between guests, resulting in over doubling the carrying capacity by reducing the spacing value from 25m2 to 10m2 per person. Additionally, the second largest influence on overall carrying capacity is the managerial capacity causing up to an 81% increase. The seasonal change from winter to summer decreased the carrying capacity by 29%. Environmental conditions such as wind and rain had minimal effects on the overall carrying capacity at this beach.