ʻŌʻōkala, Hawaii facts for kids
ʻŌʻōkala (also spelled Ookala) is a small community on the island of Hawaiʻi, located in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaii, United States. It's not a city or town with its own government, but rather an "unincorporated community." You can find it along Hawaii Route 19, north of Hilo, which is the main city of Hawaiʻi County.
This community sits at an elevation of about 371 feet (113 meters) above sea level. Its exact location is 20°1′3″N 155°17′14″W / 20.01750°N 155.28722°W. Because the area had been called different names over time, the United States Board on Geographic Names officially decided its name would be "ʻŌʻōkala" in the year 2000. The community also has its own post office with the ZIP code 96774.
Protecting the Environment
Some time ago, the Hawaii Department of Health shared a warning about the water in a gulch (a small valley or ravine) near ʻŌʻōkala. This was because water from a nearby dairy farm was flowing into the gulch, causing concerns about water quality.
More recently, the company that owned the dairy, called Big Island Dairy, made an agreement to stop its operations. They also agreed to pay a fine and to clean up the environment. This cleanup was planned to prevent any more water from the dairy from flowing into the nearby gulches by June 2019, helping to protect the natural environment around ʻŌʻōkala.
