Wilson Inlet sandbar opening 2021

In most years, the Wilson Inlet bar is opened, primarily to mitigate against flooding adjacent low-lying land. The timing and location of the opening is managed as per an agreed protocol between the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Water Corporation and the Shire of Denmark.
On Monday 21 June 2021, Wilson Inlet was opened after having been closed for only three and a half months. The last time the inlet was opened this early was 16 years ago. The early opening occurred after more than 100 mm of rain fell over the Wilson Inlet catchment within 24 hours. This caused the water level to rise by 30 cm within 10 hours. The water level was just under 1.5 m AHD (1.3 m height above sea level) - the highest since records began in the 1950s - when the inlet was opened.
The channel was cut approximately 100 m from the western cliffs’ reference point.
By Tuesday 22 June, the outgoing flow had scoured the bar to a width of about 150 m.
About 30 GL of water was discharged into the ocean in the first 24 hours after opening. However, because large amounts of water were still entering the inlet from the catchment, the water level took four days to drop to about sea level.
Imagery of the opening was captured by department staff member, Alex Burgoyne. Poor weather limited aerial filming on the day of opening.
For more information visit: estuaries.dwer.wa.gov.au/estu... and estuaries.dwer.wa.gov.au/estu...
#DWERatWork #HealthyEstuariesWA #Estuaries #WAestuaries #WesternAustralia #DenmarkWA #OceanBeach #Inlet #sandbar #river #riverbreak #mouthopening

[@alanmacification]

I noticed that in the previous years the lagoon was full of brown tea-water. This water looks to be low in organics but high in minerals, the green colour looks like a high iron content. Just curious.

[@theScrupulousBerserker]

Very interesting. Any description available for context of purpose & significance?

[@TTaiiLs]

Why do you seemingly open it at different times every year?