Shoreline turns orange at Cape Lookout. It’s for a good reason, Outer Banks park says
It’s not your imagination: The shore along North Carolina’s beloved Cape Lookout Lighthouse has indeed turned a cartoonish shade of orange.
The odd coloration at Harkers Island is the latest sign of uncertain times facing the state’s barrier islands amid rising sea levels.
“These long strands of orange cylinders are part of a wave attenuation system,” Cape Lookout National Seashore reported in a March 10 Facebook post.
“Wave attenuators are designed to help break up and reduce the force of incoming waves. This device, along with a series of jersey barriers installed last year, are part of an ongoing effort to protect these historic structures.”
The Save Cape Lookout Foundation raised $60,000 to buy the device, which is considered a temporary solution.
An Army Corps of Engineers dredging project on the channel from Harkers Island to Barden Inlet is set to begin in November, at which time the orange cylinders should be removed, officials said.
“Some of the sand removed from the channel floor during dredging will be used to build up the beach near the lighthouse,” the National Park Service reports.
“Once that is complete, the NPS will design a living shoreline to protect this section of beach. Living shorelines allow for natural processes to take place but minimize the effects of waves.”
The 163-foot-tall Cape Lookout Lighthouse, built between 1857 and 1859, includes quarters for the lighthouse keepers, cisterns and an oil house. The lighthouse itself remains closed to the public for repairs due to be finished in 2025, officials say.
“While the lighthouse is not in any peril, it does need a full restoration to protect it into the future,” the National Park Service reports.
Cape Lookout National Seashore is located on the southern leg of North Carolina’s popular barrier islands, and includes sites accessible only by ferry.
This story was originally published March 13, 2023 at 10:31 AM with the headline "Shoreline turns orange at Cape Lookout. It’s for a good reason, Outer Banks park says."