Bow River (Western Australia)
Encyclopedia
The Bow River is a river
in the great southern region of Western Australia
, not to be confused with Bow River in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia.
The river rises on the edge of the Frankland State Forest and flows in a southerly direction then discharges into the Irwin Inlet
which opens to Foul Bay and the Southern Ocean
.
Bow River is a fresh water
river with potential to be used as a water source in the area.
The town of Bow Bridge
is located where the South Coast Highway
intersects Bow River about 25km East of Walpole
.
Forms of environmental damage have been identified at the river and its wetlands, including:
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the great southern region of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, not to be confused with Bow River in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia.
The river rises on the edge of the Frankland State Forest and flows in a southerly direction then discharges into the Irwin Inlet
Irwin Inlet
Irwin Inlet is an inlet in the located on the Great Southern region of Western Australia.The inlet receives water from two main sources; Bow River of the North West and Kent River to the North East. The inlet itself discharges into the Southern Ocean via Foul Bay.The inlet is approximately East of...
which opens to Foul Bay and the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
.
Bow River is a fresh water
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
river with potential to be used as a water source in the area.
The town of Bow Bridge
Bow Bridge, Western Australia
Bow Bridge is a small town in the Great Southern of Western Australia. It is located between Denmark and Walpole on the South Coast Highway. It also situated on the Bow River.Farms were established in the area prior to 1917....
is located where the South Coast Highway
South Coast Highway
South Coast Highway is a Western Australia highway. It is a part of the Highway 1 network.With a length of , it runs from Esperance to Walpole roughly in parallel to the Western Australia's south coast...
intersects Bow River about 25km East of Walpole
Walpole
- Canada :* Walpole No. 92, Saskatchewan; rural municipality in Saskatchewan* Walpole, Saskatchewan; community in Saskatchewan* Walpole Island, Ontario, Canada- England :* Walpole, Suffolk, England* Norfolk, England...
.
Forms of environmental damage have been identified at the river and its wetlands, including:
- Exotic WeedWeedA weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
infestation from WatsoniaWatsonia (plant)Watsonia is a genus of plants in the iris family, subfamily Crocoideae, native to South Africa. The genus is named after Sir William Watson, an 18th century British botanist....
, BlackberryBlackberryThe blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...
and exotic grasses - FeralFeralA feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
Animals such as pigPigA pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s and foxFoxFox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es - Water pollutionPollutionPollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
from excess fertiliser loads added by local agricultural activity. - PathogenPathogenA pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
s such as PhytophthoraPhytophthoraPhytophthora is a genus of plant-damaging Oomycetes , whose member species are capable of causing enormous economic losses on crops worldwide, as well as environmental damage in natural ecosystems. The genus was first described by Heinrich Anton de Bary in 1875...
.