[3] It was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1962, shortly after it had been severely damaged by the 1960 tsunami.

A 500-foot (152 m) permeable rock seawall (called kuapā in Hawaiian) was added along the shoreline to enclose about 7 acres (2.8 ha) of fertile brackish water.

The favorite type of fish in the pond were ʻamaʻama (flathead grey mullet), which reproduce in the ocean but can live in either fresh, brackish, or salt water.

They were especially numerous in large expanses of shallow sea, such as Kāneʻohe Bay and Pearl Harbor.

The most recent restoration work began in 1993 as a cooperative project between the State Park service and Friends of Kahana, an organization of local residents.