WINCHESTER BAY, Ore. (AP) — Douglas County is going to officially take over operations and maintenance of the Umpqua River Lighthouse at Winchester Bay.
KVAL-TV reports the Coast Guard had planned to decommission the lighthouse and put its historic Fresnel lens in a museum, because it was no longer needed for safe navigation.
Douglas County wants to keep the lighthouse going because of the historical significance and the money it brings in as a tourist attraction.
Coast Guard officials said the decision to formally hand over operations was made easier because the county had already been doing maintenance on the lighthouse for the past 15 years.
