Culham Inlet facts for kids

Culham Inlet is a special water body in Western Australia. It is found in the Goldfields-Esperance region. People sometimes call it a coastal salt lake. It can also be called a "transient estuary." This means a sand bar usually blocks it from connecting to the ocean. The wetlands around it are very important for nature. They are listed in a special directory called DIWA. This shows their importance for the environment.

Where is Culham Inlet?

Culham Inlet is located on the eastern side of East Mount Barren. This area is part of the Fitzgerald River National Park. The inlet is about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) west of Hopetoun.

What is Culham Inlet Like?

Culham Inlet is a type of estuary where waves are very strong. An estuary is where a river meets the sea. The land around the inlet has been changed a lot. This is because of farming and other activities. This has led to salty water flowing into the inlet.

The inlet covers a total area of about 11.3 square kilometers (4.4 square miles). The main lagoon area is quite shallow. It is usually about 2 meters (6.6 feet) deep. After very heavy rains, it has been recorded as deep as 4.5 meters (14.8 feet). Two rivers flow into Culham Inlet. These are the Phillips River and the Steere River.

How Does it Connect to the Ocean?

A bar of sand dunes separates the inlet from the Southern Ocean. These dunes are usually between 30 to 40 meters (98 to 131 feet) wide. The sand bar sometimes breaks open. This lets water flow between the inlet and the ocean. This has happened naturally many times. It broke open in 1849, 1872, 1919, 1993, and 2000. People also opened it on purpose in 1920. When it breaks, it usually stays open for about 3 to 4 weeks.

How Culham Inlet Formed

Long ago, about 6,500 years ago, this area was a river valley. Then, sea levels rose. This caused the valley to fill with water. It stayed an open estuary until about 3,500 years ago. At that time, the sand bar at the entrance grew very large. This stopped the water from flowing into the ocean. More sand dunes formed over time. This made it harder for the bar to break open.

Animals and Plants

Culham Inlet is home to many different plants and animals. It is sometimes used for fishing. People have caught large amounts of Black Bream here. The waters also have smaller fish species. These include Goby and two types of Hardyheads.

Many waterbirds also live in this area. Up to 25 different types of waterbirds have been seen in the inlet.

How it Got its Name

The inlet was named by John Septimus Roe. He named it in 1848. He named it after the homestead of his son-in-law, Samuel Pole Phillips. This homestead was located in Toodyay.