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59-402: This lighthouse and station are located on low lying, flat point of land that thrusts over 0.6 kilometres (0.37 mi) out into Spanish Bay . The point has been called both Low Point and Flat Point since at least 1882. The Lighthouse and Lightstation have been entered into the official lists of lights under either name, and often both. Locally, both names are still in common use. The name

118-522: A communications officer with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, said the department has received the business plan for the Low Point lighthouse: "The preliminary assessment has been completed. The department has also received letters of support from the community. The department will be in contact with the community group in the near future with the next steps." The Low Point Lighthouse Society

177-514: A critical level to remove material from the debris lobe. Debris lobes can be very persistent and can take many years to completely disappear. Beaches dissipate wave energy on the foreshore and provide a measure of protection to the adjoining land. The stability of the foreshore, or its resistance to lowering. Once stable, the foreshore should widen and become more effective at dissipating the wave energy, so that fewer and less powerful waves reach beyond it. The provision of updrift material coming onto

236-475: A horrific case of coastal erosion is due to an increase in the frequency and the intensity of storms it experienced. These natural events had destroyed the Hampton Pier, Hernecliffe Gardens, a set of villas, several roads, and many other structures that once lay on Hampton-On-Sea. After this destruction, in 1899 they started building a sea wall to protect the rest of the remaining land and buildings. However,

295-487: A number of lighthouse petitions in advance of the June 2010 deadline to make sure a request was submitted, while hoping some community group would then take on the responsibility. One of these applications was made for Low Point Lighthouse, although a NSLPS spokesman expressed fear that no one would take it on. Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Parks Canada had received requests from community groups for 26 Cape Breton lighthouses by

354-466: A railed platform surmounted by a red, dome-topped iron lantern, reusing the lens and lighting apparatus from the old tower, the circular iron lantern housing built by English builders of lenses and lanterns Chance Brothers . In 1953, a new dwelling was built for an assistant keeper and electric power was brought to the station. By 1954, the station consisted of the lighthouse tower, fog-alarm building, stores building, oil stores, head keeper's dwelling, and

413-548: A rate of over 100 feet per year, earning the area the nickname "Washaway Beach". Much of the original town has collapsed into the ocean. The area is said to be the fastest-eroding shore of the United States' West Coast. Measures were finally taken to slow the erosion, with substantial slowing of the process noted in 2018. Fort Ricasoli , a historic 17th century fortress in Malta is being threatened by coastal erosion, as it

472-576: A solution that keeps in mind environmental justice . Typically, there has been low public support for "retreating". However, if a community does decide to relocate their buildings along the coast it is common that they will then turn the land into public open space or transfer it into land trusts in order to protect it. These relocation practices are very cost-efficient, can buffer storm surges, safeguard coastal homes and businesses, lower carbon and other pollutants, create nursery habitats for important fish species, restore open space and wildlife, and bring back

531-503: A third-order Fresnel double bullseye dioptric lens, group flashing white (5 sec.), manufactured in France by Barbier, Bénard et Turenne was installed. This replaced the 1857 fixed white, fountain lamp. A steam foghorn was installed in 1903, followed by many alterations and additions over the years to the horn and lighting mechanisms as technology advanced. One of the more serious problems that plagued this station, as it did many others,

590-697: A whole new range of solutions to coastal erosion, not just structural solutions. Solutions that have potential include native vegetation, wetland protection and restoration, and relocation or removal of structures and debris. The solutions to coastal erosion that include vegetation are called "living shorelines". Living shorelines use plants and other natural elements. Living shorelines are found to be more resilient against storms, improve water quality, increase biodiversity, and provide fishery habitats. Marshes and oyster reefs are examples of vegetation that can be used for living shorelines; they act as natural barriers to waves. Fifteen feet of marsh can absorb fifty percent of

649-421: A year, 1917, directly due to earlier dredging of shingle in the bay in front of it. The California coast, which has soft cliffs of sedimentary rock and is heavily populated, regularly has incidents of house damage as cliffs erodes. Devil's Slide , Santa Barbara , the coast just north of Ensenada , and Malibu are regularly affected. The Holderness coastline on the east coast of England, just north of

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708-646: Is aiming to also add to the site signage, parking and interpretative panels as well as — in the longer-term — an RV park, campground, gift shop, café and picnic area. "We see the lighthouse as a stop on a new Sydney Harbour tourist trail stretching from the Whitney Pier Historical Society Museum, past St. Alphonsus (gothic-style stone) Church in Victoria Mines, past Fort Petrie and the lighthouse in New Victoria, on to

767-411: Is an ongoing issue at Low Point. Work to prevent shore erosion at the point was underway as far back as 1915, that year at a cost of $ 3,223.76. By 1917 repairs were already required to the erosion protection, at a further cost of $ 1,434.06. By 2015 the lighthouse stood only about 20 metres (66 ft) away from the nearby cliff, partially protected by the remains of a crumbling wooden seawall. Erosion of

826-511: Is due to waves causing erosion of the primarily sedimentary material on which the buildings foundations sit. Dunwich , the capital of the English medieval wool trade, disappeared over the period of a few centuries due to redistribution of sediment by waves. Human interference can also increase coastal erosion: Hallsands in Devon , England, was a coastal village washed away over the course of

885-426: Is estimated the average life span of a seawall is 50–100 years and the average for a groyne is 30–40 years. Because of their relative permanence, it is assumed that these structures can be a final solution to erosion. Seawalls can also deprive public access to the beach and drastically alter the natural state of the beach. Groynes also drastically alter the natural state of the beach. Some claim that groynes could reduce

944-455: Is in the care of a community non-profit group. The light tower, an iconic landmark, is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values. It was designated 19 October 2006, and is listed in the Directory of Federal Heritage Designations. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building. Coastal erosion

1003-612: Is reported to be in storage at the Coast Guard base in Dartmouth. The round, iron, first-order lantern remains atop the lighthouse tower, the last classic lantern of this type still in use on an operational lighthouse in Nova Scotia. The Low Point Lighthouse was destaffed in 1988 but the newest of the lightkeeper's houses remains onsite, one of the few lightstations to retain its keeper's home. The house has been restored and

1062-587: Is suffering from this problem as well. Hampton-on-Sea is located in Kent, England. It was at one time very popular for its oyster fishing and was very reliant on the sea. Hampton-on-Sea has undergone the effects of coastal erosion since before the 1800s. Hampton-on-Sea's coastal erosion worsened with the increase in global warming and climate change. Global warming is causing a rise in sea level, more intense and frequent storms, and an increase in ocean temperature and precipitation levels. Another reason Hampton-on-Sea had such

1121-638: The Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act by a group willing to look after it, or the lighthouse would face disposal. While still active, the lighthouse was declared surplus under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act as Canadian Coast Guard officials had determined Low Point Lighthouse could be replaced with a simpler structure whose operation and maintenance would be more cost-effective. The Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society (NSLPS) made

1180-557: The Humber Estuary , is one of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe due to its soft clay cliffs and powerful waves. Groynes and other artificial measures to keep it under control has only accelerated the process further down the coast, because longshore drift starves the beaches of sand, leaving them more exposed. The white cliffs of Dover have also been affected. The coastline of North Cove, Washington has been eroding at

1239-412: The cliff face depends on many factors. The hardness (or inversely, the erodibility ) of sea-facing rocks is controlled by the rock strength and the presence of fissures , fractures , and beds of non-cohesive materials such as silt and fine sand . The rate at which cliff fall debris is removed from the foreshore depends on the power of the waves crossing the beach . This energy must reach

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1298-799: The 2012 deadline but only seven made the June 1, 2013 deadline for the business plans that were the next step in the guidelines outlined in Canada's then new Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act. Debbie Lee Pearson, a director of the Low Point Lighthouse Society (formerly the New Victoria Lighthouse Society), submitted a business proposal in May 2013 for the Low Point Lighthouse. In a Cape Breton Post article, dated April 14, 2014, Stephen Bornais,

1357-747: The Colliery Lands Park in New Waterford. Each stop has something unique to offer" The province and Ottawa have co-funded both a $ 3,450 engineering assessment of the site's existing seawall and a $ 7,187 protection study of the nearby shoreline. The society estimates that rebuilding the seawall will cost approximately $ 400,000. The fall of 2017 saw work begin on the lighthouse tower itself, with contractors chipping away loose exterior concrete, grinding away any and all cracks that are visible, and parging over these areas to prevent further damage from winter freeze thaw cycles. Work will continue in

1416-417: The assistant keeper's dwelling. The old house was torn down, the materials used for general improvements around the station. In 1962, with the addition of a diaphone horn and associated machinery, a third lightkeeper was taken on and a third dwelling built to accommodate him and his family. In 1970 an electronic horn was installed, eliminating the need for engines and compressors used with the diaphone horn-and

1475-535: The bank is visibly threatening the tower's foundation. Unless a new breakwater is installed, it is only a matter of time before this large, historic, octagonal concrete tower will topple into the sea. The Low Point Lighthouse was declared surplus by the Canadian Coast Guard in June 2010 (along with almost all lighthouses in Canada). As a result, the lighthouse had until May 29, 2012 to be nominated under

1534-542: The bay, "Spanish Bay" (sometimes "Spanish Harbour", "Spaniards Bay" or "Port aux Espagnols") appears on maps of the area at least as far back as 1708. Spanish Bay opens to the north-west directly onto the southern terminus of the Cabot Strait and so to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence . The bay measures approximately 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) wide at its mouth, between Alder Point on Boularderie Island to

1593-428: The cliff face which can be used for this same wave action and attrition. Corrosion or solution/chemical weathering occurs when the sea's pH (anything below pH 7.0) corrodes rocks on a cliff face. Limestone cliff faces, which have a moderately high pH, are particularly affected in this way. Wave action also increases the rate of reaction by removing the reacted material. The ability of waves to cause erosion of

1652-439: The cliff or have a corrasion (abrasion) effect, similar to sandpapering. Solution is the process in which acishutds contained in sea water will dissolve some types of rock such as chalk or limestone. Abrasion , also known as corrasion , occurs when waves break on cliff faces and slowly erode it. As the sea pounds cliff faces it also uses the scree from other wave actions to batter and break off pieces of rock from higher up

1711-443: The coast generally evens out. The softer areas fill up with sediment eroded from hard areas, and rock formations are eroded away. Also erosion commonly happens in areas where there are strong winds, loose sand , and soft rocks. The blowing of millions of sharp sand grains creates a sandblasting effect. This effect helps to erode, smooth and polish rocks. The definition of erosion is grinding and wearing away of rock surfaces through

1770-411: The cracks can grow, sometimes forming a cave . The splinters fall to the sea bed where they are subjected to further wave action. Attrition occurs when waves cause loose pieces of rock debris ( scree ) to collide with each other, grinding and chipping each other, progressively becoming smaller, smoother and rounder. Scree also collides with the base of the cliff face, chipping small pieces of rock from

1829-455: The culture of these coastal communities. Storms can cause erosion hundreds of times faster than normal weather. Before-and-after comparisons can be made using data gathered by manual surveying, laser altimeter , or a GPS unit mounted on an ATV. Remote sensing data such as Landsat scenes can be used for large scale and multi year assessments of coastal erosion. Moreover, geostatistical models can be applied to quantify erosion effects and

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1888-443: The effects of erosion. These options, including Sandbag and beach nourishment , are not intended to be long-term solutions or permanent solutions. Another method, beach scraping or beach bulldozing allows for the creation of an artificial dune in front of a building or as means of preserving a building foundation. However, there is a U.S. federal moratorium on beach bulldozing during turtle nesting season, 1 May – 15 November. One of

1947-548: The energy of incoming waves. Relocation of infrastructure any housing farther away from the coast is also an option. The natural processes of both absolute and relative sea level rise and erosion are considered in rebuilding. Depending on factors such as the severity of the erosion, as well as the natural landscape of the property, relocation could simply mean moving inland by a short distance or relocation can be to completely remove improvements from an area. A coproduction approach combined with managed retreat has been proposed as

2006-530: The eroded sands that attract visitors to Florida and help support its multibillion-dollar tourism industries. There are three common forms of coastal erosion control methods. These three include: soft-erosion controls, hard-erosion controls, and relocation. Hard-erosion control methods provide a more permanent solution than soft-erosion control methods. Seawalls and groynes serve as semi-permanent infrastructure. These structures are not immune from normal wear-and-tear and will have to be refurbished or rebuilt. It

2065-406: The foreshore beneath the cliff helps to ensure a stable beach. The adjacent bathymetry , or configuration of the seafloor, controls the wave energy arriving at the coast, and can have an important influence on the rate of cliff erosion. Shoals and bars offer protection from wave erosion by causing storm waves to break and dissipate their energy before reaching the shore. Given the dynamic nature of

2124-444: The function of a natural storm beach , may be a soft-erosion control alternative in high energy environments such as open coastlines. Over the years beach nourishment has become a very controversial shore protection measure: It has the potential to negatively impact several of the natural resources. Some large issues with these beach nourishment projects are that they must follow a wide range of complex laws and regulations, as well as

2183-400: The high expenses it takes to complete these projects. Just because sand is added to a beach does not mean it will stay there. Some communities will bring in large volumes of sand repeatedly only for it to be washed away with the next big storm. Despite these factors, beach nourishment is still used often in many communities. Lately, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emphasized the need to consider

2242-408: The inside of the lantern to keep the light going; it was nearly impossible to keep up a flame from poor-grade oil when the temperature was minus −25 to −30 degrees Celsius (−13 to −22 degrees Fahrenheit). In 1856, McNab complained that there had been no repairs or improvements of any consequence in the 19 years of the light's operation. In particular, the tiny dwelling required considerable repair, and

2301-428: The interval between beach nourishment projects though they are not seen as a solution to beach nourishment. Other criticisms of seawalls are that they can be expensive, difficult to maintain, and can sometimes cause further damage to the beach if built improperly. As we learn more about hard erosion controls it can be said for certain that these structural solutions cause more problems than they solve. They interfere with

2360-408: The light leading shipping into the increasingly busy Sydney Harbour was considered to be inadequate. New lamps were supplied immediately, which did improve the light, but it was another seven years before a new octagonal iron lantern was installed, providing the room necessary for larger oil burners and reflectors. By 1878, it was again necessary to increase the size of the lantern; to accommodate it,

2419-491: The mechanical action of other rock or sand particles. According to the IPCC, sea level rise caused by climate change will increase coastal erosion worldwide, significantly changing the coasts and low-lying coastal areas. Hydraulic action occurs when waves striking a cliff face compress air in cracks on the cliff face. This exerts pressure on the surrounding rock, and can progressively splinter and remove pieces. Over time,

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2478-416: The most common methods of soft erosion control is beach nourishment projects. These projects involve dredging sand and moving it to the beaches as a means of reestablishing the sand lost due to erosion. In some situations, beach nourishment is not a suitable measure to take for erosion control, such as in areas with sand sinks or frequent and large storms. Dynamic revetment , which uses loose cobble to mimic

2537-475: The natural temporal and spatial evolution of tracked coastal coastal profiles. The results can be used to determine the required temporal and spatial distances between the measured profiles for ecomic tracking. A place where erosion of a cliffed coast has occurred is at Wamberal in the Central Coast region of New South Wales where houses built on top of the cliffs began to collapse into the sea. This

2596-462: The natural water currents and prevent sand from shifting along coasts, along with the high costs to install and maintain them, their tendency to cause erosion in adjacent beaches and dunes, and the unintended diversion of stormwater and into other properties. Natural forms of hard-erosion control include planting or maintaining native vegetation, such as mangrove forests and coral reefs. Soft erosion strategies refer to temporary options of slowing

2655-640: The new lantern on July 13, 1878, and with all the buildings repaired and painted, the station was in first-rate order. By 1881 Low Point was a signal station at which the International Code of Signals was in use and was one of two stations on Cape Breton Island of the Maritime Telegraph System . The Port War Signal Station was located at the Flat Point Lighthouse during WWI (1917 - 1918) and WWII . In 1922

2714-418: The north of South Bar . Communities along the shoreline of Spanish Bay include (from northwest to south to northeast): Coastal erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves , currents , tides , wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward retreat of

2773-443: The north-west, and Low Point on Cape Breton Island to the south-east. The bay's shores are mostly bold & rocky with numerous prominent headlands including Point Aconi, High Cape, Alder Point , Merritt Point, Bonar Head, Oxford Point, Black Point, Cranberry Point, McGillivray Point and Petries Point, although there is a 0.75 kilometres (0.47 mi) sandy beach at Florence Beach and a popular swimming beach at Polar Bear, just to

2832-426: The sea wall did not offer much help: buildings continued to be affected by the erosion. Then a storm came and broke the sea wall, it then flooded the land behind it. These events cause many land investors to back out. Eventually, Hampton-on-Sea had to be abandoned because the erosion overtook so much of the land. By 1916 Hampton-on-Sea had been completely abandoned. By the 1920s only a couple of structures still stood. It

2891-547: The seafloor, changes in the location of shoals and bars may cause the locus of beach or cliff erosion to change position along the shore. Coastal erosion has been greatly affected by the rising sea levels globally. There has been great measures of increased coastal erosion on the Eastern seaboard of the United States. Locations such as Florida have noticed increased coastal erosion. In reaction to these increases Florida and its individual counties have increased budgets to replenish

2950-601: The shoreline can be measured and described over a temporal scale of tides, seasons, and other short-term cyclic processes. Coastal erosion may be caused by hydraulic action, abrasion , impact and corrosion by wind and water, and other forces, natural or unnatural. On non-rocky coasts, coastal erosion results in rock formations in areas where the coastline contains rock layers or fracture zones with varying resistance to erosion. Softer areas become eroded much faster than harder ones, which typically result in landforms such as tunnels , bridges , columns , and pillars . Over time

3009-560: The spring after winter snow and ice clears, with a deadline of December 2018 for completion of the exterior refinishing. After 1988 the lighthouse was automated. Spanish Bay (Nova Scotia) From west to east: Spanish Bay is a bay in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia . It is located on the Atlantic coast of Cape Breton Island at the mouth of Sydney Harbour , which forms part of Spanish Bay. The current name for

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3068-606: The third keeper. His dwelling, now surplus, was sold and removed from the station in August 1977. Further downgraded to a one-person station in January 1979, the older two-storey dwelling was first converted to a survival station, then sold and removed in 1987. In the meantime, the third-order Fresnel lens was replaced in October 1984 by a DCB-36 optic, a 91.44 centimetres (36.00 in) diameter rotating airport beacon. The Fresnel lens

3127-410: The tower had to be strengthened structurally. A temporary light was fitted 4.87 metres (16.0 ft) below the lantern deck while new frames and knees were fitted under the gallery deck. The new iron lantern was 12 sided, 2.95 metres (9.7 ft)in diameter, and able to hold the new lighting apparatus of 13 burners, each with its own 40.6 centimetres (16.0 in) reflector. A light was first shown from

3186-413: The work to begin in the spring of 2016 and end before the summer season. The renos were actually only the first phase of the society's plan for the site. Taking into account Sydney's growing cruise ship industry, in the longer term the society wants also to establish the lighthouse as one of six or so stops on a new Cape Breton tourist trail that will reveal Sydney Harbour's history and heritage. The society

3245-712: Was awarded $ 75,000 in July 2015, after it won an online voting competition set up by the National Trust for Canada and the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society to award $ 250,000 to the top three vote-getting lighthouses in three categories. The money will be used renovating the lighthouse and the site around it into a tourism destination, as a venue for weddings and other events. Low Point Lighthouse Society spokeswoman Debbie Lee Pearson in an interview stated that she expected

3304-416: Was built at a cost of £770. The tower was octagonal, wooden, with its sides painted alternately red and white, 15.54 metres (51.0 ft) high, base to vane. During its first winter the lead roof was blown off in a heavy gale and the light was out until the lantern could be replaced with a new iron lantern. It was so exceedingly cold that the lightkeeper, Robert McNab, was forced to put pans of hot coals around

3363-410: Was built on a fault in the headland which is prone to erosion. A small part of one of the bastion walls has already collapsed since the land under it has eroded, and there are cracks in other walls as well. In El Campello , Spain, the erosion and failure of a Roman fish farm excavated from rock during the first century B.C. was exacerbated by the construction of a close sport harbour. Hampton-on-Sea

3422-403: Was erosion. Through the years, upwards of half a million dollars was spent on building and maintaining the breastworks and cribbing. In 1938, the wooden tower came to the end of its days and the existing tower was built in its place, a sturdy octagonal reinforced-concrete shaft, painted white and punctuated by a few rectangular openings. Tapered at its base, it flares outward at its top to support

3481-551: Was formerly approved as Flat Point on June 1, 1909. It was changed to Low Point on October 1, 1953. After 1826, the General Mining Association consolidated the various coal mines around Sydney Harbour and greatly increased the shipping of coal to ports on the Atlantic coast. In support of this effort, a lighthouse was built at Low Point in 1832 to aid vessels entering Sydney harbour. This first lighthouse

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