Wellstead Estuary facts for kids

The calm waters of Wellstead Estuary.

The Wellstead Estuary is a special water body found in the Great Southern part of Western Australia. It's a type of estuary, which is a place where a river meets the sea, mixing fresh water with salty ocean water.

Discovering Wellstead Estuary

Wellstead Estuary is like a long, narrow arm of the ocean reaching inland. It's an important natural area.

Size and Location

This estuary stretches about 13 kilometers (8 miles) long. It holds a large amount of water, around 2.4 million cubic meters. The total area of the estuary is about 4.7 square kilometers (1.8 square miles). This includes a main water area and surrounding salt marshes and tidal flats.

Water Features

The water in Wellstead Estuary is quite shallow, usually less than 1 meter (3 feet) deep. How salty the water is (its salinity) can change a lot. It depends on how much water flows in from the Bremer River and how much water evaporates. The Bremer River flows into the estuary and then out to the Southern Ocean.

The estuary is mostly shaped by ocean waves. This means the waves from the ocean play a big role in how the water moves and how the sand shifts around inside the estuary.

The Sandbar and Estuary Health

At the mouth of the estuary, there is a sandbar. This sandbar usually stays closed, blocking the estuary from the ocean. It only opens up after very heavy rains, when a lot of fresh water flows out from the river. Sometimes, the sandbar can stay closed for many years. In the past, it was closed for over 20 years!

Wellstead Estuary is a very healthy waterway. It is not eutrophic, which means it doesn't have too many nutrients that can cause harmful algae blooms. This is thanks to a lot of seagrass called Ruppia megacarpa growing there. This seagrass helps keep the water clean and healthy.

Nearby Community

The small town of Bremer Bay is located right along the shoreline of Wellstead Estuary.