The Waimea River is a river in Honolulu County on the island of Oʻahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The river's main channel is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and has a watershed spanning 13.6 square miles, with a total length of 24.4 km (15.2 mi) when its tributaries are included.[1][2] It is formed by the confluence of the Kamananui stream and the Kaiwikoʻele stream northeast of Haleiwa and flows northwest through the Waimea Valley to the Pacific Ocean at Waimea Bay. The name Waimea translates to "red water."[3]

Waimea River
Waimea Falls on the Kamananui stream a tributary of the Waimea
Waimea River (Oahu) is located in Oahu
Waimea River (Oahu)
Location of the mouth within Oahu
Location
CountryUnited States
StateHawaii
CountyHonolulu County
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationWaimea Valley
Mouth 
 • location
Waimea Bay
 • coordinates
21°38′27″N 158°03′48″W / 21.64074°N 158.06324°W / 21.64074; -158.06324
Length1.5 mi (2.4 km), 24.4 km (15.2 mi) total length
Basin size13.6 sq mi (35 km2)

The mouth of the river has become famous for its waves that are created when residents dredge the beach, creating a channel that allows the watercourse to drain when it is cut off by the beach.[4][5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Waimea River
  2. ^ "Waimea River, Oahu" (PDF). Hawaii watershed atlas. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  3. ^ Pukui, Mary Kawena. Place Names of Hawaii. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-8248-0524-0.
  4. ^ "Waimea Bay - Best North Shore Beach".
  5. ^ Connecting river to Ocean, "Skid Kids", YouTube.com, 2022-02-09, accessed 2022-02-22