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Archaeological Subsurface testing for the
proposed Kapa'a Sewer line. Wailua, Olohena,
Waipouli and Kapa'a, Kaua'i


Hallett H. Hammatt
Cultural Surveys Hawai'i for James Pedersen,Planning Consultant
April 1991

Thirteen backhoe trenches and 15 hand-dug trenches were excavated within the alignment of the proposed Kapa'a sewer line which runs northward along Kuhio Highway from the existing Wailua Sewer Treatment Plant south of the Wailua River Bridge to Kapa'a Town. There are also other lines planned along Papaloa Road and Inia Street. Marine sand deposits underlying thin layers of road fill were encountered in all areas of the proposed sewer line except the section south of Wailua Bridge, at Papaloa Road, and at filled land by Waikaea Canal. The sewer line route was divided into 7 study sections for convenience of description and evaluation of impact of sewer line construction on archaeological resources. Buried cultural layers were encountered in 3 sections :

The most intact cultural layer was identified at Inia Street. These three areas of cultural material are numbered and described as archaeological sites and contain shell midden, charcoal, bone and soil features. Three C14 samples were submitted for radiocarbon dating: two from Inia Street and one from Waipouli Stream. No burials were located in the test trenches, but there is a potential for finding burials during sewer construction in all sections of the alignment containing buried sand deposits. On-call archaeological monitoring is recommended for most areas, but on-site monitoring is recommended for the 3 sensitive areas containing buried cultural layers.