Hardy Inlet

Located in the scenic South West region of Western Australia, Hardy Inlet is a picturesque inlet that provides spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.

The town of Augusta is located on the South Western shore of the inlet, which opens to the Southern Ocean via Flinders Bay. Hardy Inlet is a wave-dominated estuary with a high sediment trapping efficiency. What makes this inlet unique is that it is always open to the ocean and the water is turbid.

The inlet is part of the larger river system of the Blackwood Estuary, which also includes the Blackwood River and the Scott River. The Blackwood River and the Scott River discharge into the northeastern end of the inlet. Hardy Inlet is the wide, lower basin of the Blackwood Estuary with a long, narrow and shifting entrance channel. The total surface area of the inlet is approximately 20 square kilometres (8 sq mi).

The majority of the inlet is made up of shallow banks with a depth of less than 1 metre (3 ft), found between channels that are between 2 metres (7 ft) to 8 metres (26 ft) in depth. The water in Hardy Inlet is constantly in motion, with tides inducing a strong flow of water in and out of the inlet. This constant motion is responsible for the high sediment trapping efficiency found in Hardy Inlet.

Algal blooms have been recorded in the inlet near Molloy Island and West Bay due to elevated nutrient levels, particularly Nitrogen and Phosphorus. As a result, warnings have been issued to prevent people from consuming shellfish such as mussels and oysters, which can filter out the toxic algae.

Hardy Inlet used to be a popular site for commercial fishing, but all licenses have now