Protective seawall reinforced for West Point lighthouse

The seawall at the West Point lighthouse has been secured after strong winds and powerful waves knocked out its holdings.

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The West Point Development Corporation hired construction crews to re-establish the sea wall last week.

"They put larger rocks thanhad been there before.They repaired the area that was damaged and they've dug down deeper," saidCarolLivingstone, the vice-president of the P.E.I. Lighthouse Society.

Rising sea levels

The seawall was put in place in 2012to help protect the 141-year-old lighthouse after rising sea levels and strong waves from theNorthumberlandStrait washed away sand dunes that blocked water from entering.

"We had a lot of storms during the early 2000's," said Livingstone. "And in each one we would lose more and more of the protective bank till finally it was gone."

Livingstonesaid the rocks, sand and geomaterial keeping the seawall in place were knocked out in November.

"This storm came up a few weeks ago andit just took all of the beach that was there and it went much deeper," she said.

Uncertain future

But Livingston said she's still concerned about the strength of the seawall and whether it will protect the lighthouse. She would like to see the seawall protect more of the beach.

"I would think that eventually there will need to be an extension of that farther to the northwest, which is where the prevailing winds and tides come from."

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