Nawiliwili Harbor is located on the southeast coast of the island of Kauai and is the island’s principal commercial harbor. The project was authorized under Section 209 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1962. The harbor’s Federal features consist of a 2,045-foot-long breakwater, and a 2,400-foot-long S-shaped entrance channel which is 40 feet deep with a minimum 600-foot width.
The initial Federal improvement was completed in 1930 with additional work completed in 1956 and 1960. According to the latest waterborne commerce statistics, 2.3 million short tons of cargo were shipped through Nawiliwili Harbor in 2007. The local sponsor is the State of Hawaii, Department of Transportation.