Fishponds were very important to the ancient Hawaiians because it was like their refrigerator. The Hawaiians didn't have refrigerators, so they stored the fish in the fishpond. The fishponds were owned by the chiefs. Hawaiians built the fishponds for the chiefs so they could have fresh fish whenever they wanted. The formation of Kaelepulu pond began 3,000,000 years ago. Back then, the Koolau volcano rose above the Pacific ocean. The makai (mountain) side of it eroded and submerged over the ocean and formed the Kaelepulu Pond. Taro or kalo patches could be found between the pond and the stream. The ancient Hawaiians always saw to it that the pond was kept clean. Fat mullet, awa, ahole, and 'o'opu were found in abundance in Kaelepulu Pond. There were also large amounts of Limu Kala wai (seaweed). The small fish were caught and put into the pond and when they grew big, they were caught. Most of the fishponds had gates which allowed big fish to go through.