The Alekoko Fishpond, known locally as the Menehune Fishpond, near Līhuʻe, Hawaii, on the island of

Kauai Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 m ...

, is a historic Hawaiian fishpond. Also known as Alakoko Fishpond, it has been listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

since 1973. The pond is bounded by a at a large bend in Hulēia River. It has been deemed "the most significant fishpond on Kauai, both in Hawaiian legends and folklore and in the eyes fKauai's people today". As the largest fishpond on Kauai, 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 Hawaii before the arrival of the Hawaiians. It was first listed on the U.S. National Register in 1973; the listing included one contributing site and one contributing structure. In 2021 it was purchased by

The Trust for Public Land The Trust for Public Land is a U.S. nonprofit organization with a mission to "create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come". Since its founding in 1972, the Trust for Public Land has compl ...

and conveyed to Mālama Hulēia, which has been restoring the land since 2018. Restoration projects have included removing of invasive

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

and rebuilding a rock wall.

References

Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Hawaii Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in Hawaii Fishponds of Hawaii Bodies of water of Kauai History of Kauai Protected areas of Kauai Buildings and structures in Kauai County, Hawaii Geography of Kauai County, Hawaii National Register of Historic Places in Kauai County, Hawaii {{Hawaii-NRHP-stub