 | | Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge is of primary importance for endangered Hawaiian stilt and Hawaiian coot. Intermittent flooding and siltation created shallow mud flat areas, pickleweed flats, native sedge margins, and expanses of open water, that provide suitable resting, feeding and nesting habitat for endangered waterbirds. The drying of the pond in the spring benefits these native birds. Aeo (Hawaiian stilts) time their nesting so that their young can probe for invertebrates and small fish in the newly-exposed mud.The pond also supports diverse resident and migratory bird populations. It is one of the most important areas in the State for wintering migratory waterfowl. Migratory shorebirds also congregate here to take advantage of food exposed as the pond recedes. As the pond shrinks, fish are crowded into the remaining water, making them easy prey for aukuu (black-crowned night-herons).The main body of the pond is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a narrow band of coastal sand dunes and N. Kihei Rd. Kealia Pond acts as a natural sump within the floodplain of its 56 square miles watershed. At the turn of the twentieth century, this natural basin was six to eight feet deep, but since then it has filled in with silt-laden runoff from agricultural fields. Today it averages one to two feet of brackish water covering 50-400 acres, depending on the season. The great majority of the land surrounding the pond is planted in sugar cane. In summer, the pond often shrinks to less than half its winter size, leaving a crust of pure crystalline salt at its margins. Kealia (pronounced keh-AH-lee-ah) means "the salt-encrusted place," and Hawaiians gathered salt here for centuries. |
| |  | | | Facilities: Unknown Reservations: Reservations are not needed or accepted for Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge. Best Time To Visit: Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge is open year round. Fees: Unknown Accessibility: Unknown Rules: Unknown Directions: To reach Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge from Kahului, take Hwy 311 south to Hwy 31. Travel Northwest on 31, following it to the refuge. | | |
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| | | | Address | | Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge | | P.O. Box 1042 | | Kihei, Maui, Hawaii 96753 |
| | | Phone | | General: (808) 875-1582 | |
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