Groundwater Tables Trapped Under Cliffs Speeding up Erosion at Gay Head Lighthouse

With efforts already underway to help save the Gay Head Lighthouse from the threat of rapid erosion, officials in Aquinnah this week offered a possible solution to help mitigate the threat, according to the Martha's Vineyard Gazette. 

A geology study reportedly shows that groundwater intrusion on the edge of the cliffs nearby is causing most of the erosion, according to the Gazette. 

Moreover, the erosion stems from two groundwater tables trapped within the cliffs, with one table 20 feet below the surface and the other 50 feet below, according to the report. 

As such, officials are weighing the proposed option of drilling a well through the trapped water tables before seeing a screen and gravel trap in an effort to allow gravity to pull the water down to a main aquifer that lies 200 feet below. 

The Coast Guard, Massachusetts Historic Commission, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head and other local planning agencies still need to provide permission, however, according to the report. 

The town's “Keep on Shining” campaign to relocate and restore the Gay Head Lighthouse held a special ceremony on Friday, June 21 with a Community Open (Light) House and Solstice Celebration.