Hardy Inlet
Encyclopedia
Hardy Inlet is an inlet
that is located in the South West region of Western Australia
.
The town of Augusta
is situated on the South Western shore of the inlet, the inlet opens to the Southern Ocean
via Flinders Bay. Both the Blackwood River
and the Scott River
discharge into the north eastern end of the inlet.
The inlet is a wave dominated estuary
with a high sediment trapping efficiency, it is always open to the ocean and the water is turbid. The total surface area of the inlet is 20 square kilometres (8 sq mi)
Hardy Inlet is the wide, lower basin of the Blackwood Estuary with a long narrow and shifting entrance channel. The majority of the inlet is made up of shallow banks with a depth of less than 1 metres (3 ft) found between channels between 2 metres (7 ft) to 8 metres (26 ft) in depth.
Algal
blooms have been recorded in the inlet around Molloy Island and West Bay as a result of elevated nutrient levels, particularly Nitrogen
and Phosphorus
levels. Warnings have been issued so that people do not consume shellfish such as mussel
s and oyster
s which can filter out the toxic algae. Commercial fishing was once conducted within the inlet but all licences have now been cancelled and only recreational fishing is permitted.
Inlet
An inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water, often leading to an enclosed body of water, such as a sound, bay, lagoon or marsh. In sea coasts an inlet usually refers to the actual connection between a bay and the ocean and is often called an...
that is located in the South West 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...
.
The town of Augusta
Augusta, Western Australia
Augusta is a town on the south-west coast of Western Australia, where the Blackwood River emerges into Flinders Bay. It is the nearest town to Cape Leeuwin, on the farthest south-west corner of the Australian continent. In the 2001 census it had a population of 1,694; by 2006 the population of...
is situated on the South Western shore of the inlet, the inlet opens to 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...
via Flinders Bay. Both the Blackwood River
Blackwood River
The Blackwood River is a major river and catchment in the South West of Western Australia.The river begins at the junction of Arthur River and Balgarup River near Quelarup and travels in a south westerly direction through the town of Bridgetown then through Nannup until it discharges into the...
and the Scott River
Scott River
The Scott River is a river in Siskiyou County, California, United States. It is a tributary of the Klamath River, one of the largest rivers in California....
discharge into the north eastern end of the inlet.
The inlet is a wave dominated estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
with a high sediment trapping efficiency, it is always open to the ocean and the water is turbid. The total surface area of the inlet is 20 square kilometres (8 sq mi)
Hardy Inlet is the wide, lower basin of the Blackwood Estuary with a long narrow and shifting entrance channel. The majority of the inlet is made up of shallow banks with a depth of less than 1 metres (3 ft) found between channels between 2 metres (7 ft) to 8 metres (26 ft) in depth.
Algal
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
blooms have been recorded in the inlet around Molloy Island and West Bay as a result of elevated nutrient levels, particularly Nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
and Phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
levels. Warnings have been issued so that people do not consume shellfish such as mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s and oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s which can filter out the toxic algae. Commercial fishing was once conducted within the inlet but all licences have now been cancelled and only recreational fishing is permitted.