Wilson Inlet Bar Scenery

Nullaki (Wilson Inlet) on the south coast of Western Australia lies between Albany and Denmark is opened manually on an annual basis for estuary health and to prevent flooding of low-lying areas. This video documents trenching operations in 2020 and the spectacular flow 24 hours later when the channel had widened to over 100m in width. Department of Water and Environmental Regulation videos document the opening of the bar operations and the flow since 2017.
www.youtube.com/@DWER/videos

[@kamikariad]

The Wilson Inlet sand bar has been artificially opened each winter since the 1920s to limit flooding of low lying lands adjacent to the Inlet. Once the Inlet water level reaches 1.01 m above AHD, the bar is breached by cutting a channel through it with an excavator.

[@ScrotalSands]

Someone sharing some proper info instead of just saying "WhY Do ThIs, ItS jUsT gOnNa GeT wAsHeD aWaY"

[@pbrewton]

What did they use to dig it in the 1920s?

[@Rhiawhyn]

A shovel.

[@speedy01247]

That man is living the childhood dream of digging up a beach with an excavator.

[@karizma8175]

This comment nearly made me tear up. I'm nearly 50.

[@rudiger8408]

Интересно, сколько времени у него ушло, чтобы уговорить местные власти осуществить свою мечту?

[@PlayNowWorkLater]

I was thinking the same thing. What an awesome job, if I was still a kid

[@cammarshall9619]

So Australian to have 1 operator working and 8 site manager vehicles parked up making sure that 1 operator works smoothly 😂😂

[@armageddonready4071]

And they all get paid with taxpayer money, to stand around doing nothing.

[@falklumo]

One working and dozend just watching whatever is what our modern society became. It allowed for home office which is just that …

[@andrewliszak1072]

Same here in America lol

[@tedsmith6137]

To save others from having to go searching for location, this is near Denmark, Western Australia.

[@dnfn9640]

Thanks mate

[@lindastent-campbell5130]

Ohhhhh, first I thought Denmark the country, and then I saw Albany and thought maybe New York. I haven't figured out yet why this is being done. I'm sure there's a reason, but all I see so far is the destruction of a beautiful beach.

[@ryansmiley5495]

Yeah it's in the description

[@Sugarsail1]

@@lindastent-campbell5130 fun? How is this "destruction of a beautiful beach"? When a kid builds a sandcastle do you also see that as "destruction of a beautiful beach"? Or if a dog digs a hole...also "destruction"? Only difference is scale.

[@Montana_horseman]

Very satisfying video to watch. I don't know about other people but as a child I built and breached many little "garden dams" in my childhood. I'm betting there are lots of viewers like me wishing they were doing the digging. 😅

[@StrzalaOstryPazur]

Me too :)

[@jezcoates]

Our hands as excavator buckets …

[@Montana_horseman]

@@StrzalaOstryPazur I knew there had to be others out there.. 🚜👍

[@Montana_horseman]

@@jezcoates 100% .. with the appropriate digging and machine noises. 😅👍

[@CommentRedacted]

Guilty as well, Used to use PVC pipes in my dams to be able to control the flow with pipe plugs.

[@josephmccord4511]

That angle and width at low tide produced the greatest flow and volume with directional control that provided the max transfer assuring no stoppage due to lack of level reduction

[@chriscooper654]

Lovely showing of how the connection between estuary and sea develops and changes; nice choice of music, too.

[@hadron2]

Mesmerising! Beautiful photography and music.

[@peterjrgensen2792]

Being an elder person from the proud nordic nation Denmark, i was about to write an angry post about "THIS IS NOT DENMARK" But, again being old - i posess wisdom - so i read the text and found out there is a Denmark town in Australia. And still, being an elder, i am now MAD about Australia STEALING THE NAME OF MY PROUD NORDIC NATION!!! ;) Hav a nice day all doown under. Peter ;)

[@indyrock8148]

Hope your enjoying your new Queen we supplied 😉

[@peterjrgensen2792]

@@indyrock8148 Well .. we really do. She is so down to earth kind and engaged. And her danish is amazing - you did a good job down under ;)

[@indyrock8148]

@peterjrgensen2792 we are very proud of her. It's a hard job and she is doing it well.

[@SophiaJavaJive]

Here DownUnder we name our places and streets that bring us good memories. 👍

[@lindsaydempsey5683]

Great video, thank you. I'd love to see it on Day 7

[@dcsensui]

The inlet is now an outlet. 🙂 It's a good example of the power of water. Nice work. If this were filmed with a helicopter with a gyroscopically stabilized camera mount, it would have cost thousands of dollars.

[@mikedoingmikethings702]

That was a massive amounts of water being held by that tiny sand bar... great coverage man! you earned my sub!!!

[@Bettina4257]

Cool views on the color mixing. Thank you for the video!

[@Taizunx]

As someone living in Denmark, Northern Europe, this confused me for a quick second.

[@AN-nt3uv]

As being a Southern neighbor in Lübeck i was confused as well by how the countryside, coast and ocean looks and there was sometging with Albany as well 😂

[@ashleypierce8500]

It was a cool video. I look forward to seeing you get better. ❤

[@WearySteerer]

All I could see was an excavator driver and about thirty people holding his beer

[@MrButtonpresser]

Lovely job on the video. Beautifully lit and such great scenery.

[@susieast450]

Wow, incredible video. Thanks!

[@mikewawn4426]

I live in Perth but have got family in Denmark. This video was very impressive with the drone footage.

[@petermcgreevy6386]

Great video, I love Denmark and Albany areas. Denmark won Town of the Year many times too.

[@JohnTheGoalie]

34 min is the money shot. Looks amazing !

[@ruaraidhmcdonald-walker9524]

'kin ell that snare drum woke me up!!! Amazing video!

[@porkyswelding]

this! i was having some catharsis then wham! whats going on ?

[@flyaccelerated]

Great video! Well done!

[@jonkeau5155]

From reading comments from people in the area this sand bar builds up and breaches naturally, however there is too much unpredictable flooding because the exact water level at breach is not consistent, so they help Mother Nature breach the sand bar early so flooding is not as big a problem

[@deathbycheese850]

They have tried leaving the sandbar to do its thing, but it just caused problems. Even when the inlet is close to flooding, the sandbar won't open up.

[@t84t748748t6]

why not have a guy whit a shovel? seen loads of videos of doing that

[@vingreensill]

Interesting vid. Thanks for sharing.

[@DeathRacer-yl2hx]

JOOG SQUAD will have that done in the morning ready for an afternoon session..

[@scarletbegonias2359]

Someone was looking for some OT. He could have made a trench the width of his bucket and the water would have done the rest.

[@slotripper]

So your a sand trench expert?!!,.....been done like this for 100 years ,but some millenial knows better im sure, in your never, neverland mind anyway😂!!?

[@samcriisfree4432]

No actually it was usually done historically by creating extremely small funnels and letting the water do the rest but I hear u there is no problem with him digging a little extra​@@slotripper

[@kkeestar]

A man gotta do what he can to feed the family

[@gteaz]

@@samcriisfree4432 Exactly, Ross vlog creations does a small trench with a spade in a few hours and the water flowing out washes the trench sand out to sea.

[@fuyt216]

​​@@slotripperbet a mellinial was the the operator of that excavator. You do realize that mellinials are about 40 years old now. But yeah kids they are. 🤪

[@arickhoops]

Awesome video! Makes me want to visit!

[@Picsou313]

Very nice drone footage

[@rickvaiBBB]

Great video

[@mountainman5292]

At what point in the video are the kayak races?

[@wazzazone]

Sounds like you need the same solution used at the "Lake Illawarra" entrance. It's now permanently open.

[@missmacNZ]

Thank you Great views

[@decboy100]

is there a follow up video to this

[@warrenjones3408]

Good to see so many expert digger drivers with experience in trenching waterlogged sand

[@Woody615]

LOLOL We're only doing what guys have done for years while looking through the fences into a construction site and putting in their 2 cents worth of sage advice.

[@alexkitner5356]

For laughs I tried to put some math into the idea of people shoveling it out in a big dig-fest. If you assume 8 shovel scoops per ft³ its 216 a yard. Even numbers, 200 scoops per yard, a 2 yard bucket is 400 and if he's keeping an average of 4 scoops a minute thats 1600 shovels per minute. Say a person will average 2 a minute when you figure they're not keeping a non-stop pace, so 800 people digging at all times and they all have to eat, drink, use the bathroom, get there, get organized, manage not to get hurt in unstable sand digging a 4 foot deep trench with no boxes. Seems totally reasonable, much cheaper than a few guys supervising an operator and a couple of surveyors....

[@alexkitner5356]

Sorry 8000. Missed a zero.

[@stefenosthepom2649]

It ain't exactly rocket science...

[@far_outlook]

That person is my father, he is wonderful

[@missbhooligan9334]

Big Hi from the country Denmark 🇩🇰

[@atholmullen]

I grew up near Glenrock Lagoon in NSW. The lagoon cyclically fills, washes open across the beach, builds the sand back up and repeat. It seems odd that this one doesn't open by itself.

[@oo0Spyder0oo]

It does, I went fishing down here years ago and the winter rains used to break through it maybe they’ve had a bad year rain wise. But regardless, this should be left to nature to sort out because these cycles are normal. The snapper grow up in there and when it breaks they are met by the sharks on the other side, meanwhile it’s great fishing before this happens.

[@fludblud]

It does open by itself, but the level in which it would naturally open up would flood too much land upstream so they open it up earlier.

[@far_outlook]

Thanks to professional equipment such as excavators, the freshwater canal was completed, which was amazing

[@johnzee691]

very interesting. thanks

[@SirWulfrick]

Why the diagonal? Tidal forces on a straight shot?

[@erichammond9308]

Okay, so exactly why does this inlet silt up like this? Is it a heavy sand load of the river? Or do currents force the sand to pile up? Why does it close that way?

[@hubsonekka]

So if there is strong storm.. those area will flooded more than before because of no no barrier?

[@gabbarrf1745]

If the estuary is allowed to flood does it destroy the beach?

[@JesseJames-kv7xc]

super cool, thank's

[@thomasmleahy6218]

Is that a double bass being bowed? Definitely a great foundation for the piece. Mucho gusto!

[@Kathschannel]

That was fascinating to watch.

[@TheAurum888]

Нуллаки (Уилсон-Инлет) на южном побережье Западной Австралии, расположенной между Олбани и Данией, ежегодно открывается вручную на ежегодной основе для здоровья эстуарии и предотвращения наводнений в низменных районах. Это видео документирует операции по прокладке траншей в 2020 году и впечатляющий поток 24 часа спустя, когда канал расширился до более чем 100 м в ширину. Видеозаписи Департамента регулирования водных ресурсов и окружающей среды документируют открытие протоки с 2017 года.

[@kinostory]

Ослоеп, я в гугле и сам перевести могу.. Токо вот то что перевел мне гугли получился более читабельно нежели эта уйня что тут напереведено

[@johnm3946]

Did they call in for locates?

[@Smokkedandslammed]

"Hey, could you get a few drone shots for this dig?" OP: I got you covered fam.

[@The_HillPeople]

Hey, is that one dude in the light blue or grey jacket and brown pants playing the bagpipes?

[@kevin-haggerty-khmp]

Awesome shots !! I love how creative the drone shots were are able to create. It’s an amazing tool for creating!! And the pilot has the ability to create their own vision into reality!! Subbed my friend!

[@fromalandfarfaraway4192]

Favorite word is „create“, thanks for sharing this.

[@user-fj6bg8xf3o]

It says under the title, thst they do this every year for estuary health and to prevent flooding of low lying areas.

[@royalordinance]

Superb, well Filmed.

[@Nahimgood289]

I can't dig around a little in a creek in my state because "it would disrupt the ecology." Australia:

[@FullCircleTravis]

Rich people affected.

[@pjotrtje0NL]

Maybe because they know what they’re doing?

[@brettdean6182]

Qld you can

[@yeoldegunporn]

Because letting one person do it is fine, letting everyone do it leads to cholera.

[@aofthefielde1305]

Before they did that dig they 100% did a extensive repot of why its neeeded, tidal range energy input can help ecosystems alot. The brown water is i assume cus of the lack of oxygen.

[@alanw7134]

Music at the end was awesome.

[@josephastier7421]

Why did you dig four times the trench you needed?

[@majstealth]

because the excavator was rented and the operator payed full up front, so they said "make it 2 shovels wide!"

[@alexkitner5356]

Maybe you tell those guys with the degrees and the experience of doing it on a semi-annual basis. I'm sure they'll realize the error of their ways and hold digapalooza next year. A few man buns with beach toys and it'll be open in mere minutes. There's no way that a 25 ton machine can beat some groms with sand toys.

[@dmcwlk]

That was awesome. Legend on the Digger, wet sand expert.

[@TheCebulon]

Why they don’t do it in a shorter line? Why diagonally through the beach?

[@jasperralinovsky6376]

I was thinking it might have been to slow down the erosion of the bar and that’s why they mentioned the breach in the sand wall

[@chrisharris4740]

He was being paid by the yard....

[@erroneous6947]

Erosion.

[@chrisking7603]

Spectacular

[@gaekaas]

Denmark?! Isn't this on the South West of Australia?

[@davidregehr2687]

People, people, people. The guys in the safety vests with the trucks are the engineers, environmental folks etc. They specified the sizing and shape of the trench. Give the excavator operator a break. He is simply meeting the specifications......

[@leocolbert6114]

Perhaps those low lying area's are supposed to flood occasionally .

[@UKDrew]

So, Did the water levels Drop?

[@shirayryux857]

Disculpen mi ignorancia pero porque vaciar un lago ?

[@williammackay3321]

So what is the point and why ?

[@hcraretep]

Now how do I get my 4x4 off the beach ?

[@riccardoboscolo4253]

Title of the main soundtrack?

[@superscope27]

Why was this done?

[@KpyTpy]

Музыкальный ряд - потрясающий ! Спасибо ...

[@bpooboi]

They only got 1 track ho in Denmark?

[@isaksjodin9817]

The water color change is crazy

[@RisingTidesAC]

Does Wilson inlet ever breach naturally?

[@sgtrock68]

Before digging the plug, it kinda reminds me of the Suez Canal from Goggle Earth. I imagined them putting in miniature locks on it. Row boats and swan paddle boats paying 50 cents to pass through each lock on the "canal". LOL I don't know where my mind goes sometimes...apparently some hydrological Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood. HA! Looks like the operator was in his own world too. He built as much tension as he could dragging out the last few buckets. Maybe the operator was thinking "And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned...".

[@razony]

Very soothing and relaxing to watch, but I never did see Godzilla.

[@nicolasdenis7094]

Any reason they use an excavator and not a dozer?

[@Dingle-Berries]

Am I correct in assuming that the water is black/dark like that is because of all the organic material decomposing in the saltwater also no circulation and movement of water flow.

[@markdotcomau]

Tannins in water I believe so yes you're correct

[@bryanpuddles8402]

is that sewerage or chemical causing the stained water?

[@blob_loblaw]

Tannin water. Look it up.

[@DavidDuchesne-ji7yb]

I wonder how far back the shore line will be when it completely drains

[@MarkJones-kd6ye]

But for what reason did they do it

[@melin1969]

i can only assume the digger operator was on an hourly rate cos that was wayyyyyy more digging than needed

[@Master-ls2op]

a father-son team did it in 1 day hand digging a trench...

[@mikem631]

Thats exactly what I was thinking. 2 buckets wide when it only needs to be 1 foot.

[@u1zha]

​@@mikem631and the basis of "needs 1 foot" is what research exactly? You sure know the banks can collapse into a channel, slow down flow and prevent the self-widening? Show that you did think about that, quantitatively

[@TheG1162]

It’s a council excavator and the operator is a council worker. Just a days work…

[@Master-ls2op]

o so he is working way to fast for a Gov employee. unless that was a 6 month project. @@TheG1162

[@leeedsonetwo]

Why dont they dig the most direct route

[@lonewolf6364]

Can anyone provide a brief explanation as to why this occurs? And how long it takes for that bright blue beach to return to its self? prior to the dark and brown water making it look much less appealing.

[@aland7236]

I am no Oceanologist, but I believe this has to do with wave and tidal actions from the Ocean bringing up and depositing sand at the inlet. One of the sources for an estuary is rainfall and runoff from uphill which will vary over the seasons, during the dry seasons the estuary would have low or no outflow. Because there is low outflow wave and tidal actions are able to wash sand ashore and nothing pushes it back out to sea. Big storms coming ashore also contribute with their winds blowing the water and sand toward land. Over the seasons a bar is created and the bodies of water separate. Sand bars will breach on their own given enough time, usually during a shore side flooding event, but in this case since there is Human infrastructure near flooding intervention was needed. As for the bright blue beach returning, it would vary based on the factors contributing the sand bar in the first place, or how low the estuary empties during the breaching process. Probably a week or two. Once the estuary lowers and the outflow slows enough the brown water would dissipate into the blue water to the point where you'd never notice it. If I were part of the decision making team, I would time this draining to begin a few days before an unusually low tide so that the estuary empties as much as possible, but also does not entirely back fill with sea water. This would give the Ocean a good head start on building another sand bar that would likely last several years. For what it is worth the brown color mostly comes from decaying plant materials in the water, it is ugly but completely harmless (except for the inevitable Human environmental runoff). Not really brief, but I have a habit of turning as many stones as possible. Hopefully this helps.

[@lonewolf6364]

@@aland7236 outstanding response and info mate. Thankyou.

[@aland7236]

@@lonewolf6364 With pleasure my friend.

[@gavinroocke2936]

It is dug when some farmland around the inlet becomes flooded. The large reduction in the annual rainfall in the south west of Oz means it doesn’t get the large volumes rushing into the estuary to create a natural break. It has recently remained opened over a year due to Denmark and surrounds receiving their old average rainfall in 2023 for the first time in many years

[@tonyb83]

Yep, marginal flooding of land can just be seen in some of the aerial shots of the estuary. It would have been interesting if the video maker had pointed that flooded land out with captions and told us the difference in the impounded estuary water level and the tide levels before the bar was breached.

[@lukepoolservice]

what causes all the white foam in the trench?

[@2036scott]

airation

[@bradwitt8591]

Where's Jamie O'Brien when you need him?

[@energitrimmeren]

You got me pretty confused, not knowing this inlet in my home county 🇩🇰👍😎

[@martinjames9250]

@shoreface I nearly missed this altogether! How? Well these videos are put out on the WORLDWIDE web and if you want folk to watch them ....... Even 'WA' in the title would've helped. I've only been to that area a few times and it was a long time ago. I had no idea that this was done, never mind every year! Most interesting.

[@krismaitland7885]

Wonder whybthey didn't pull the trench across the shortest point?

[@porkyswelding]

is the brown water fresh or salt? what if yall dredged it permanent or put in a giant pipe or lock?

[@r.awilliams9815]

The brown water is fresh, but brackish and brown from peat. It's cheaper, by far, to send out an excavator once a year than it is to build some kind of permanent structure, and structures require maintenance on a regular basis, which is even more expensive.

[@porkyswelding]

@@r.awilliams9815 ok thanks. i was just concerned about the risk of losing a $100k machine and/ or salt damage

[@cjod33]

Man: dig a nice angle trench for the water to flow nicely through. Mother nature: Hold my beer, I'm going straight through!

[@aquariussoda007]

Day 3 early morning looks like a waterfall . Whole story was magic sound and all .

[@battleshipoverland8677]

Interesting vid. I'm curious as to why it is necessary to intervene like this?

[@glenjamindle]

RIP to that machine. I'm sure it ended up at auction within a month of this job covered in rust

[@dancarter482]

_One very careful lady owner, always garaged, dry weekend use only - never raced or rallied_

[@x13xmonkey]

And what was the point?

[@marksapollo]

All I can think of is that ocean water was lovely and clear blue, then all the cruddy stuff from the estuary was dumped into it lol.

[@MMSAI-ry2nz]

Why only 1 excavator?

[@jamesdeath3477]

Ha ha.... eight trucks full of guys standing around watching one bloke dig a trench.

[@inthegarage342]

Why?

[@cabanford]

Why do they do this??

[@kamikariad]

Surf fish be like "BUFFET IS OPEN!!"

[@Banshee421x]

I like how the people are restricted moment on a public beach

[@james.telfer]

Anyone take a ride along the channel on a board or dinghy? Looks like fun!

[@dancarter482]

That's what I stayed to see !

[@Ghost_moto_WPN]

Watch the boom in shellfish numbers with all that sediment feeding them.