Irwin Inlet
Encyclopedia
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 20 kilometres (12 mi) East of Walpole
and 30 kilometres (19 mi) West of Denmark
. The South Coast Highway
is found about 3 kilometres (2 mi) North of the inlet.
A sandbar across the entrance to the inlet on the ocean side, but this is often breached during the winter. The inlet cuts Peaceful Bay beach in cut in two.
The inlet is a wave dominated estuary has a total area of 13 square kilometres (5 sq mi), it is estimated that 30% of the catchment is cleared.
The inlet is slowly turning into swampland as a result of its high sediment loading and shallow depth. The basin supports large seagrass meadows and is used as a commercial fishery.
The Bibbulmun Track
crosses Irwin inlet and canoes are provided in sheds on either side of the track for hikers to make the crossing with. The channel is 150 metres (492 ft) wide at the point where it must be crossed.
Great Southern
Great Southern can refer to any of the following:*Great Southern Television, based in Auckland and Sydney.*Great Southern , a region in Western Australia.*Great Southern , the backing band for American rock guitarist Dickey Betts....
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 inlet receives water from two main sources; Bow River
Bow River (Western Australia)
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....
of the North West and Kent River
Kent River
The Kent River is a river in the Great Southern of Western Australia.The headwaters of the river rise near Tenterden then flows in a south westerly direction crosses the Muirs Highway east of Rocky Gully then through Mount Roe-Mount Lindesay National Park then crosses the South Coast Highway near...
to the North East. The inlet itself discharges into 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 Foul Bay.
The inlet is approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) East of Walpole
Walpole, Western Australia
Walpole is a town in Western Australia, 432 km SSE of Perth and 66 km west of Denmark.Walpole lies very close to the northern point of the 100-hectare Walpole Inlet, from which it takes its name....
and 30 kilometres (19 mi) West of Denmark
Denmark, Western Australia
Denmark is a town in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, south-south-east of the state capital of Perth. At the 2006 census, Denmark had a population of 2,732.-History:...
. 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...
is found about 3 kilometres (2 mi) North of the inlet.
A sandbar across the entrance to the inlet on the ocean side, but this is often breached during the winter. The inlet cuts Peaceful Bay beach in cut in two.
The inlet is a wave dominated estuary has a total area of 13 square kilometres (5 sq mi), it is estimated that 30% of the catchment is cleared.
The inlet is slowly turning into swampland as a result of its high sediment loading and shallow depth. The basin supports large seagrass meadows and is used as a commercial fishery.
The Bibbulmun Track
Bibbulmun Track
The Bibbulmun Track is a long distance walk trail in Western Australia. It runs from Kalamunda, east of Perth to Albany and is almost 1000 km long...
crosses Irwin inlet and canoes are provided in sheds on either side of the track for hikers to make the crossing with. The channel is 150 metres (492 ft) wide at the point where it must be crossed.