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.