Kaelepulu Pond was part of a huge ahupua'a, a self-sustaining community that extended from the mountain to the sea. In Kaelepulu there was a huge pond that provided fresh drinking water to the people in the ahupua'a. They brought in fish such as the 'awa and mullet. The ancient Hawaiians cultivated many taro fields which depended on the water for survival. Water was very important to the ancient Hawaiians and they took great care in keeping it clean.

Explorers such as Captain Cook spread the news with people all over the world about our beautiful islands. Soon, Hawaii had many new visitors who brought new way of living. They brought plants, animals, insects, and birds that are now known as alien invaders. These alien invaders became threats to our native species and habitats.

In the early 1800s it was estimated that Kaelepulu Pond covered 190 acres, with an additional 90 acres of bordering marshlands. In the late 1800s rice patties and sugar cane replaced the taro patches as the major agricultural crop. To supply the new crop with water, the water was diverted out of the taro patches to plantation ditches.

Back then people didn't realize how important the marshes were to the environment and to the wildlife. Kaelepulu which meant moist blackness wasn't a favorable name to home buyers, so the developer changed the name to Enchanted Lake.

In 1988 a developer was required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to create a man-made wildlife sanctuary in Kaelepulu Pond to bring back the wildlife and to conserve the endangered birds. This is the only wetland that now exits in Kaelepulu Pond.