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Global Warming and Lighthouses

Sue Clark — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 03:29:14 +0000

Another Lighthouse Threatened

From the pages of The Daily in Australia comes a little story about the Bribie Island Lighthouse (front range), Queensland, being another threatened by erosion. Unusually violent storms, winds, flooding are taking their toll on this and other lighthouses from Canada to the US; to Europe to Australia. According to the story, massive sand losses due to the tides and weather have pushed the ocean’s edge up to the base of the lighthouse. Fears are that Pumicestone Passage will be sealed off with a sandbar. The Australian Environmental Protection Agency claims that because this is a “natural occurrence” it will not step in to help. What?

Location, Location, Location

Those three words are what all realtors tell you are the most desirable facets of a property. And lighthouses have certainly been built following that dictum. They’ve been built in the worst places on earth. They’ve been subject to the vagaries of the weather since the time the first lighthouse, the Pharos of Alexandria, was built. They’ve been put at the edges of cliffs, both rock and sand. They’ve been placed on rocks or ledges in the middle of nowhere. They’ve been put on barrier islands regularly hit by hurricanes. They’ve been placed at the edges of vulnerable beaches.

So is global warming the cause of all this erosion? The cause of lighthouses like Sankaty Head or Belle Toute having to be moved further inland? The reason that Bribie Island and Sand Island are disappearing?

No.

The Natural Cycle of Mother Nature

Whether or not you believe in global warming as a man-made phenomenom, there is no denying a climate change is affecting our planet. But is this what is causing all these problems for our beloved beacons? And who should be responsible for protecting them from the elements?

Oceans rise and fall. Waves erode sand and rock. The Great Lakes go through cycles of high water and low water. Earhthquakes, volcanoes and storms reshape the land. Droughts will come and go. Floodwaters inundate lands and then recede. Why would we blame global warming for something that has gone on for eons? It’s the natural way of the planet.

However, because we’ve seen fit to build lighthouses at the very edge of Mother Nature’s fury, we need to ensure that they don’t fall victim to the natural erosion that has been ongoing since the beginnings of time. But whose responsibility is it?

The Government Or Us?

While the governments of the countries are the usual builders of lighthouses, they have also abandoned them in favor of enhanced technologies for navigation. While that may be wrong, most of the governments also have to prioritize their budgets, and sadly, lighthouse preservation falls far down the list. While it may be shocking that the Environmental Protection Agency in the story referenced above won’t do anything about the erosion, the question truly is, is why should they? It is a natural process.

Perhaps the governments can kick in money, but it really falls to the lighthouse loving public to dig into their wallets and purses and contribute to save them. Yes, there are so many worthy causes and we can’t support them all, but surely a dollar or two will help. There isn’t anyone that doesn’t like lighthouses.

The New Lighthouse Keeper

One of the most popular search terms that brings people to these pages are those looking to become lighthouse keepers. Sadly, the job is not available as in the old days. But what is available is the lighthouse keeper of today, to preserve and protect our history, our lovely night beacons. Do not look to the government for support, look to yourselves and become the next generation of lighthouse keepers.

The Lighthouse

Against the termagant waves of night
A lighthouse solid stands
And with its ever searching beam
Seeks out the fragile craft of man

Its mission is to point the way
That those who sail might see,
And know whereat the land doth lie
Beyond what seems an endless sea.

I know that in this modern age
With sonar, satellite and blips,
A lighthouse seems of other times
No longer meant for sailing ships.

Yet in a wild, tempestuous gale
With howling winds and darkest night,
There is no known technology
As welcomed as that faithful light.

When we have crossed millenium’s gulf
And find ourselves so far from land,
I pray that we will not be lost
And that the lighthouse solid stands.

We can do no less than to make sure that solid lighthouse remains standing.

Photo Credits:

Beachy Head Lighthouse by Howzey. Some rights reserved.
Bribie Island Lighthouse Lighthouses of Australia All rights reserved.

For the very best in lighthouse photos and gifts visit The Lighthouse Guy.

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Global Warming and Lighthouses

Wanted: Rocks For Lighthouse

Sue Clark — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 21:27:30 +0000

Erosion Threatening New Point Comfort Lighthouse

Sitting on a quarter acre pile of rocks in Chesapeake Bay, the New Point Comfort Lighthouse is precariously perched as the winter storms will toss them around. Abandoned by the Coast Guard in 1963 and left to weather the storms, waves and vandalism, this once proud beacon’s land is washing away. Storms such as Hurricane Isabel in 2003 have washed away much of what used to be an island. When it was built in 1805, it could be accessed on foot at low tide. Now it’s inaccessible and sits only 8 to 9 feet above mean sea level on its own island.

Matthews County acquired the lighthouse in 1975, but the only major work to be done was to build a pier for workers to maintain the light, which apparently hasn’t had much done to it in that period. According to a story in the Daily Press, the lighthouse property is off-limits and “no trespassing” signs are posted. The lighthouse is “dangerous,” said Mathews County Administrator Steve Whiteway. “It’s a dangerous structure and the stairway inside is dangerous.”

Five Thousand Tons of Boulders Needed

To start, the county wants to bring in about 5000 tons of granite boulders to shore up the lighthouse base. It’s estimated to cost about $750,000 for this project. Also in the plans (but not included in the cost) is a new pedestrian walkway. Earlier this year, the Army Corps of Engineers presented a proposal to expand the island and stabilize the area around it with dredging material, but it turned out to be cost prohibitive. So the plan is to remove the useless rocks that are on the island and replace them with a protective wall of the granite boulders, along with a pathway around the islet.

Fund Raising, Not Tax Dollars

The county is waiting for the final preservation plans to start seeking grants and private donations for the work. The New Point Comfort Task Force, formed to help the county with preservation efforts, is also preparing to embark on a fund drive to raise money for the preservation project. “We haven’t directly asked for money from anyone,” Ed Soles, a member of the task force, said. “Our goal is to raise money as best we can.” Hey, if you guys want some boulders for free, come on up to Maine. I’ve got hundreds of granite boulders lying around my house being, well, rocks. Big, dumb rocks just waiting for a job like this.

The High Cost of the A.C.E.

What I can’t understand is the high cost of the Army Corps of Engineers (no price was given in the article). The usage of dredging material would be an effective way to rebuild the land, so why would it cost so much? This strikes me as counter-productive. What does the ACE do with the material it dredges out of harbors and shipping/boating channels? Generally, they are moved inland and placed as landfill. Why would it be so much money to bring the dredgings of sand and rock to the lighthouse? Something is wrong here.

Coming Tomorrow: The High Cost of Rocks

If you think $750,000 is a high price for rocks, check back tomorrow when Lighthouse News gives you a really “WOW” article on the cost for lighthouse repairs.

For the very best in lighthouse photos and gifts visit The Lighthouse Guy.

Wanted: Rocks For Lighthouse

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An Island Abandons A Lighthouse

Sue Clark — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:13:31 +0000

Another Loss To Erosion

Sand Island Lighthouse, Alabama, sitting on what was once an island but is now just a little pile of leftover granite boulders, is the latest in a long list of lighthouses threatened by erosion. Built on wooden pilings sunk deep into the sand, rot has eaten away its foundation. And the island it once sat on is no longer, thanks to wind, waves and storms, leaving the lighthouse, decommissioned and abandoned by the government in 1933, on the verge of collapsing into the Atlantic.

Alabama Lighthouse Association reports that the first major work in these decades will begin in the spring. But it’s not nearly enough.

“Mobile is built with a rich maritime history, and Sand Island Lighthouse is pivotal in that whole history,” said Jim Hall, who sits on the lighthouse association’s board of directors. “The vision is to renew the lighthouse and open it to the public.”

Damage Report

Severely damaged by Hurrican Ivan in 2004, about a year after the nearby town of Dauphin took possession of it from the government after a full seventy years of neglect, funding for repairs finally came through this year. But it’s not nearly enough to repair the decades of damage. Only $320,000 has been awarded, and the full cost to shore up this oldest lighthouse in Alabama is estimated by engineers to exceed 1.3 million dollars. And millions more to make it accessible to visitors.

According to a story at Alabama.Com, Mobile, Alabama engineering firm Thompson Engineering reported that the 134 foot tall lighthouse has two vertical cracks in the brick walls, damaged iron rings at the top and bottom, and a corroded internal spiral staircase, among other problems including the foundation. And of course, there’s the loss of the island itself, which moved westward away from the light. The hope is to rebuild the island to eventually open the tower to visitors to this historic light.

History of the Tower

This is another of the lighthouses in the Southern tier of states that were blown up by the Confederate Army during the Civil War, so the Union Army wouldn’t take over the tower. The original light was only 55 feet tall when it was built in 1838, but proved to be too short. In 1859 another was built to replace it, nearly three times its size at 150 feet. This is the one that was blown up by the Confederates in 1862 when it was discovered that the Union Army was using it to spy on their troops. After the war, in 1873 the current tower was built by the reknowned Winston Lewis, along with quarters for the keepers (long gone).

A Sad Story of Lighthouses

It gets harder and harder to report on these lighthouses that are being threatened by erosion and governmental abandonment. These towers represent a lost way of life that will never be regained. They were built by our government and the neglect of them by the feds is hard to understand. While our budgetary resources are being strained by a war on terrorism, our history is crumbling. Please find it in your hearts (or rather wallets) to contribute something to the new generation of keepers, our lighthouse associations that are trying to negate the sad neglect of our beacons.

Photo Credit: Sand Island Lighthouse by Quiksilver1850 on Flickr.

For the very best in lighthouse photos and gifts visit The Lighthouse Guy.

An Island Abandons A Lighthouse

Climate Change Causes Crumbling Coastline

Sue Clark — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:50:16 +0000

An Ounce of Prevention

Climate change, aka Global Warming, is being blamed for the erosion of dunes at the West Point Lighthouse on Prince Edward Island. The site it has guarded mariners against since 1876 now threatens to approach the light, bringing it down. Although it’s not in any present danger, a call to action was issued by Norm Catto, a geography professor at Memorial University in St. John’s, according to a story at Canada.Com.

He states a warming trend is responsible for more severe storms and less ice cover during the winter is leading to greater beach erosion issues on both coasts. He feels tiny P.E.I. may be more vulnerable than a lot of other places due to its sandstone cliffs. The time to do something is now, according to Robert Henderson, a member of the legislature that has called for protection for the landmark. “I’m just trying to raise alarm bells to say that in a few more years we may have a serious problem,” he states in the story.

History of the Lighthouse

Only two keepers tended the light from its beginnings until it was automated in 1963. Its deterioration,like so many other lighthouses, began at that time. The West Point Development Corporation began restoring the site in 1982. The original two story keeper’s house was razed, but has been reconstructed based on the original plans. It now houses a museum, with some of the original furnishings rescued from the original house on display. There is also a restaurant, and a nine room inn for those wanting to stay at the lighthouse. More information on staying at the light is available at their website, westpointlighthouse.com.

Is It Worth Saving?

I can’t believe that question was asked in the story. Every lighthouse is worth saving. We’ve all lost far too much of our maritime history as it is. So the answer, of course, is yes. Whether the island will wait until the lighthouse needs to be moved, or do something now before it gets to that point is the real question. Building up the dunes is one possibility, or perhaps putting in other protection from the encroaching sea. But surely they don’t want to wait until the lighthouse is ready to be engulfed. I applaud the forward thinking of Henderson and Catto, who realize the time to act is now, before it becomes an emergency.

Is Global Warming To Blame?

Perhaps, perhaps not. I believe there may be a climate change afoot, but whether or not it’s exacerbated or caused by humans is open to debate. However, I also think that all things nature are cyclical. We may be in a natural warming trend. And whether warmer weather is cause for more and more severe storms, I can’t say. But looking ahead to the future, as more and more lighthouses being threatened by coastal erosion from whatever cause, it’s a great idea to start planning on protecting and preserving these beacons that have protected us for so long while we still can.

Photo Credit: West Point Lighthouse by WhyNotThisOne on Flickr (Creative Commons license).

For the very best in lighthouse photos and gifts visit The Lighthouse Guy.

Climate Change Causes Crumbling Coastline

A Tale of Two Lighthouses

Sue Clark — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 11:53:43 +0000

Plum, Pilot Islands Transferred

These two Door County (Wisconsin) lighthouses and their respective islands were finally transferred from the US Coast Guard to the US Fish and Wildlife Service this past October, after decades of bureaucratic red tape and legal wrangling over environmental cleanup issues. Terms of the conveyance required the Service to partner with a nonprofit organization to renovate the buildings on Plum Island that were abandoned when the Coast Guard deserted the century-old life-saving station in 1991. That role has been taken on by the Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands, a newly formed organization just now finishing nonprofit filings (~~No website yet~~).

It is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s goal to protect native and migratory bird habitat and endangered species habitat within the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. The 325 acre Plum Island would be accessible for public hiking, birding, hunting and other compatible activities. The approximately 3.7 acre Pilot Island would be closed to the public. Both islands would become part of the Green Bay Island National Wildlife Refuge System. However…

No Money For the Islands

Originally, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wanted to take over the islands, turning them into a state park, but the costs of cleanup (the Feds spent $800,000 on cleanup in 2004) and the fact the Fisheries and Wildlife Service claimed them as wildlife refuges quashed the idea. The islands are home to a burgeoning population of cormorants, which almost faced extinction in the Great Lakes not too long ago, but have now recovered to the point that they’ve become somewhat of a nuisance. The islands are also a critical stop for migratory birds in the spring and fall.

So, the agency will be providing funding for these islands? No. The budget is a big fat zero.

“We knew from the start that there would be no increase in our budget once we took over the islands, and no increase in staff,” said Patti Meyers, manager of the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. “But we still agreed it was extremely important to do this - to protect these islands.”

Although tiny Pilot Island will remain off limits to the public, the USFWS is hoping to work closely with the Friends Group in repairing these long neglected buildings.

A Race Against Time

With winter setting in, volunteers can finally get to work. But it may be too late for some of the buildings. And it’s a sad state of affairs that once again the federal government has allowed these buildings to deteriorate to this point.

Pilot Island:

The lighthouse roof needs replacing to prevent it from collapsing like it did on the foghorn building.
The floors and walls are rotting on the keeper’s house.
The foghorn building can still be saved, but needs to happen soon.
The docks need to be repaired or replaced so volunteers can safely access the island for work.
Portions of the lighthouse keeper’s residence are in danger of collapsing.

Plum Island:

The once white paint is peeling from the buildings.
The roof, covered in guano, is in need of replacement. An emergency repair was done a few years ago, but the original roof has collapsed into the floors below.

There’s a sign warning visitors of lead paint hanging out at Pilot Island. Mike Kahr, a Door County dock builder, said about it, “Ridiculous. How about a warning sign that we’ve let these buildings fall apart? If we let them go, what will that say about us in 50 years?”

Edited 20, January, 200 to add the new website for the Friends of Plum and Pilot Lights

Photo credits:

Pilot Island Lighthouse by cwbash on Flickr. Some Rights Reserved
Plum Island Lighthouse by clare_and_ben on Flickr. Some Rights Reserved

For the very best in lighthouse photos and gifts visit The Lighthouse Guy.

A Tale of Two Lighthouses