ROUND ISLAND, MI - Mother Natures clock is ticking when it comes to the Round Island Lighthouse. This iconic sentry, sitting in the Straits of Mackinac just across from Mackinac Island, is in serious need of more riprap rock. The massive stones placed in the water just off the base of the historic lighthouse are designed to prevent the waves and the coming winters ice from working together to damage the structure in this high-water era on the Great Lakes.

A fundraising campaign for the work got a big boost when an anonymous donor recently offered $250K to take the volunteer-run Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society past the financial mark it needed to pay for the rock work.

The group is working with the U.S. Forest Service, which oversees the uninhabited island, to arrange for a marine contractor to do the work before winters harsh weather arrives. But there might be a timing wrinkle with the state permit needed for the work.

In order to get approval, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) typically requires a 20-day public input stretch before the state permit can be issued, society members say.

Given the Great Lakes' penchant for November gales, theres no telling what that work window will look like next month, says Matt McMullen, board chairman of the preservation society.

We dont really have 20 days, McMullen said. We are trying to find a way to speed up this process. I know that there are procedures, but there is a fire burning and we need to put it out," he said, referencing the probability of the lighthouse being damaged this winter and spring.

There is a chance the permit approval process can be done faster, a state spokesperson said.

High water levels are affecting shoreline areas and structures around the state, including historic facilities such as the Round Island Lighthouse. To help property owners impacted by record-setting water levels, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has been expediting the review of shoreline protection permit applications where critical infrastructure, public health or private structures are in jeopardy, said Nick Assendelft, who handles EGLEs media relations and public information for Great Lakes issues. EGLE is reviewing the recently completed Round Island Lighthouse application for proposed shoreline protection. EGLE will work with the applicants to address this matter in an expedited manner if emergency measures are necessary.

Round Island's historic lighthouse, seen here with Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel in the background. High water has spurred a fundraising campaign to help protect the structure.

Without more protective riprap to keep the waves at bay, McMullen and other society members are worried that next springs thaw will break up a winters worth of ice, and it will be driven by waves into the structure. The lighthouse, built in 1895, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lighthouse fans dont want to see a repeat of the damage done by storms in 1972 that famously took out a chunk of the buildings side, exposing it to the elements. Pictures of that crumbled lighthouse made it onto a postcard and spurred the first public fundraising efforts to save the lighthouse.

Since it has not been used for navigation in the Straits for decades, Round Island Lighthouse long ago was placed under the auspices of the U.S. Forest Service the Hiawatha National Forest unit, to be exact. The preservation society and Boy Scout members handle much of the annual maintenance, and spearheaded the funding drive for the new loads of rock when it was clear Forest Service didnt have the budget surplus to cover it.

Initially, it didnt look like the volunteers would raise enough money for the project this season. But a donor who wishes to remain anonymous reached out to McMullen recently, asking pointed questions about the project, then coming back with the large donation. The person said Round Island Lighthouse holds a sentimental place in their familys heart, and they wanted to pay for the riprap project.

I about broke down crying on the phone, said McMullen, who has been a big cheerleader for this project.

McMullen said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already given the project a green light, and hes looking into whether the marine contractor can stage the needed materials nearby, so workers can be ready to go once the state gives its approval.

The window of opportunity is fast closing, he said.

READ MORE

Spooky happenings inside Michigans haunted lighthouses revealed in book

Mystery surrounds old Lake Michigan shipwreck, woman left tied to the mast

Piece of 1872 shipwreck linked to pirate legend emerges near Sleeping Bear Dunes

Read this article:

Donor offers $250K for lighthouse work near Mackinac Island, now its a race against winter - MLive.com