HILO, Hawai'i — Homeowners and tour operators are facing off over access to Champagne Pond, one of the geothermically heated Kapoho tide pools on the east side of the Big Island.

Residents of the Kapoho Beach Lots subdivision fronting the pools say a steady trickle of visitors has turned into a tsunami, damaging fragile habitat.

A tour operator says residents lack aloha and are trying to keep everyone away.

The area is among tide pools spread out along about one mile of the East Hawai'i coast. Extending 200 yards into the ocean, the pools are warmed by volcanic activity.

Tour guidebooks tout the area's snorkeling with a wide variety of fish attracted to the pools of warm ocean. Families also like to take their children there to swim in the calm waters.

Years ago, the place rarely got more than the odd vehicle or two on any given day. Today, on a good weekend, expect 200 people crowding into the ponds and camping on the lava.

At least a dozen people who live near Kapoho Bay and the inlets that make up the ponds say visitors also go to the bathroom in the ponds, given there are no public toilet facilities on the shore.

"We're aware of the problem," said Newton Inouye, supervising sanitarian for the Health Department. He said department officials would hold a meeting next month with the community association, and possibly tour operators, to come up with a solution.

Discussions have come up over the years about turning Champagne Pond into a park, but Harry Samelson, president of the Kapoho Beach Lots homeowners association, said residents fear it would lead to more visitors.

"We absolutely want the commercial vehicles to stop coming here," Samelson said. "But even if they stop, we'll still have the problem we've had for years: tons of people camping in the lava flow, makeshift roofs, tents, TVs — you wouldn't believe it. They bring everything but a toilet."

When KapohoKine Adventures started bringing vans full of cruise ship passengers for snorkeling, it was the final straw, said Derek Hall, who takes care of property near the ponds.

"This area is incredibly small. You can't go on state land on a moneymaking tour into a finite ecosystem and overload the system," Hall said.

Gary Marrow, co-owner of KapohoKine Adventures, said his guides are trained by the Department of Land and Natural Resources to keep an eye on the land and leave it in better shape than they found it.

"We have toilets that we pay for 10 minutes away. Guests get a chance to use the restrooms before and after," Marrow said.

Marrow runs two tours a day when cruise ships are in, bringing about 28 people who spend about 35 minutes at the pond. Residents say the numbers are higher and visitors stay an hour and a half.

"This island has a huge problem. Tourism has gone through the roof. All tour operators are running on unencumbered land and all the agencies have been allowing operators to do it," Marrow said. "What are you going to do? You can't just shut everyone down."