English: SAVANNAH, Ga. – Work continues on a $1.5 million project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District in partnership with the National Park Service to restore erosion control at the Cockspur Island Lighthouse, shown here on Jan. 10, 2013. USACE photo by Russell A. Wicke.

The Corps provided the engineering design and contract oversight, working with prime contractor SES Construction and Fuel Services of Anchorage, Alaska. Construction began in October 2012 with an estimated completion in September 2013.

Erosion caused by wave action of daily tides and occasional storms has reduced the size and elevation of the oyster bed island, leaving the lighthouse foundation vulnerable to attack by Teredo worms (shipworms). As part of the project, the contractor will place stone revetment around the perimeter of the island that is most exposed and additional stone around the base of the lighthouse. Upon completion of the stone construction, oyster-filled bags will be tucked in among the stone layer to encourage new oyster growth.

The island and lighthouse are included in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Fort Pulaski National Monument. Today, the Cockspur beacon remains one of only five surviving coastal lighthouses in Georgia.