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This morning and Wednesday morning will mark a return of so-called king tides to local shores, raising water levels about 5 inches above normal and possibly higher in December and January, according to climate scientists. Read more

This morning and Wednesday morning will mark a return of so-called king tides to local shores, raising water levels about 5 inches above normal and possibly higher in December and January, according to climate scientists.

King tides are the highest predicted astronomical tides of a given year. Their localized impacts depend on wave conditions.

Many Hawaii residents were introduced to the phenomenon last summer during an unusually strong run of king tides that saw water levels peaking at more than 10 inches above anticipated levels, causing serious flooding in certain areas.

The largest king tides are expected to occur over the coming week and again in the first weeks of December and January.

The University of Hawaii Sea Grant Center for Coastal and Climate Science and Resilience, the University of Hawaii Sea Level Center and the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System continue to monitor unusually high ocean water levels in the Central Pacific.

Hawaii Sea Grant is sponsoring the Hawaii and Pacific Islands King Tides citizen science project and is again asking the community to help capture photos of local shorelines during king tide events. Over the summer more than 2,400 photographs were submitted by citizen scientists through the project’s free mobile application.

Since the winter king tides occur very early in the morning, the best dates to capture the highest high tides are before 8 a.m. today (high tide occurs at 6:39 a.m.) and Wednesday, and Dec. 6-7 before 8 a.m. For more information, visit PacificIslandsKingTides.org.

Maunawili trail to have occasional closures

Hawaiian Electric Co. will be replacing a damaged utility pole this morning, resulting in the intermittent closure of the Maunawili Falls Trail during helicopter overflights.

The closures are scheduled for intermittent, two- to four-minute intervals between 9 and 11 a.m. today for the safety of hikers. HECO is replacing a pole on the hillside above Kelewina Place in the Maunawili area of Kailua.

Security personnel will be posted at the entrance to the trail and a few hundred yards into the trail to stop hikers from crossing into the helicopter’s flight path.

Hawaii island

Multiple eBay listings selling sand are removed after inquiry

HILO >> Online auction and sales company eBay has removed multiple listings of sand said to be taken from Hawaii beaches.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Saturday that it asked the company about the listings before they were taken down. Among them was a listing claiming to have sand from Papakolea Beach, also known as Green Sands Beach.

It is illegal to take sand from Hawaii beaches, state Department of Land and Natural Resources spokeswoman Deborah Ward said. The law contains a limited number of exceptions that do not include personal or commercial sales. Fines for illegally collecting Hawaii sand can reach upward of $100,000.

“It used to be legal to take sand up to a certain amount per person, per day. However, the law was changed, and taking sand is now illegal,” Ward said.

She said the department is investigating one case of “sale of sand” on social media, but she declined comment on whether the sale was through eBay.

Ryan Moore, eBay director of global corporate affairs and communication, said the company took the listings down and notified sellers after the newspaper reached out.

“While we haven’t been directly contacted by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, we are certainly willing to work with them on the best way to address this issue in the future,” Moore said.

Hawaii’s prohibition on taking sand from beaches dates to 2013. Before then one person could take up to a gallon a day from the shoreline.

The then-director of the department, William Aila, testified to the Legislature that erosion, illegal sand mining and other factors were shrinking Hawaii’s beaches.

The law exempts people who accidentally bring sand home in their clothes, toys and other belongings.

Offers for the sand ranged from 2 mm vials for $3.50 to a pound for prices ranging from $4.50 to $14.95.