The ʻAlekoko Fishpond, known locally as the Menehune Fishpond,[2] near Līhuʻe, Hawaiʻi, on the island of Kauaʻi, is a historic Hawaiian fishpond. Also known as Alakoko Fishpond, it has been listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places since 1973.
The pond is bounded by a 900-foot-long wall (270 m) at a large bend in Hulēʻia River.[3][4] It has been deemed "the most significant fishpond on Kauaʻi, both in Hawaiian legends and folklore and in the eyes [of] Kauaʻi's people today".[5] As the largest fishpond on Kauaʻi, it is estimated to have been constructed in the 15th century, and may be the first brackish-water fishpond in the Hawaiian Islands. Its construction is traditionally attributed to the Menehune, a mythical people said to have inhabited Hawaiʻi before the arrival of the Hawaiians.[5]
It was first listed on the U.S. National Register in 1973; the listing included one contributing site and one contributing structure.[1] In 2021 it was purchased by The Trust for Public Land and conveyed to Mālama Hulēʻia, which has been restoring the land since 2018.[6] Restoration projects have included removing 26 acres (11 ha) of invasive mangrove and rebuilding a rock wall.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Menehune Fishpond". National Park Service. March 14, 1973. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ "Draft Compatibility Determination for Right of Access for Mālama Hulēʻia Community Workday" (PDF). United States Fish and Wildlife Service. October 21, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ Kirch, Patrick Vinton (1996). "Menehune Fishpond". Legacy of the Landscape: An Illustrated Guide to Hawaiian Archaeological Sites. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 23. ISBN 0-8248-1739-7.
- ^ Fujimoto, Dennis (July 7, 2020). "New life for Alekoko". The Garden Island. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ a b Martin, B. Jean (September 29, 1971). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Menehune Fishpond / Alekoko Fishpond". National Park Service. and accompanying two photos from 1973
- ^ Bodon, Sabrina (November 17, 2021). "Alakoko 'Menehune' Fishpond saved; Chan, Zuckerberg make $4 million donation". The Garden Island. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021.
- ^ "Thousands of volunteers help restore 600-year-old Alakoko fishpond outside Līhu'e". Kauai Now. October 22, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
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