ÃÂlieiki Lake is an ephemeral lake located in the southern part of the island of Niûihau. It appears on Hawaiian place-name records, early geological bulletins, and topographic maps of Niûihau compiled in the early to mid-20th century.
During the rainy season, low-lying areas fill with fresh water and the lake swells to approximately 35â¯acres in area. It is located directly south of Halaliûi Lake, the largest natural lake in the Hawaiian Islands. In dry periods on the arid island, Alieiki becomes a flat reddish dry lakebed.
The Makaloa sedge (Cyperus laevigatus) grows along the lakeâÂÂs margins and was traditionally used by Native Hawaiians to weave Makaloa mats. The wetlands surrounding Alieiki provide habitat for several native Hawaiian waterbirds, including the ûalae keûokeûo (Hawaiian coot), aeûo (Hawaiian stilt), and koloa maoli (Hawaiian duck).
The lake is also part of traditional mullet (pua) aquaculture practices historically carried out on Niûihau. Young fish enter through lava tubes or are transported in barrels during the rainy season. As water levels recede in the summer, adult mullet are harvested and often sold on Kauaûi and Oûahu.