The
Peel Harvey Area
A Place for people, plants and animals
The Peel-Harvey estuarine
system is fed by three large rivers. The Harvey River enters
the
Harvey Estuary in the south, while the Murray and Serpentine
Rivers flow into the eastern side of the Peel Inlet.
The Peel-Harvey system is
one of the largest estuaries in the south-west of Western
Australia
Length:
30km long
Width: up to 12 km wide
Surface Area: 133 sq km (2 1/2 of Sydney
harbour)
Volume: 150 million m3 (1/3 of Sydney Harbour)
Depth: Most of the estuary < 2m and
half of the estuary < 0.5m
Waterbirds
The Peel-Harvey Estuary is one of the most important
sites for waterbirds in the south-west of W.A.
Researchers have recorded:
Number of species: 81 (including 22 migratory
shorebirds)
Average Count: about 15000 individuals
Highest Count: 110000 individuals
Classified as a "Wetland
of International Importance" by the Ramsar Convention
Creery Wetlands Nature Reserve is
an important feeding and roosting area for waterbirds.
Valuable fringing vegetation grows in
the low-lying areas, stabilizing the shore, filtering nutrients
and providing food for a large number of animals.
The woodland provides habitat for bushland
species, including a colony of Quendas, a native mammal.
Walk trails, hides and information
are provided to help you understand this changing estuarine
environment.
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