Beaufort Inlet, Western Australia

Beaufort Inlet also locally known as Pallinup Estuary is an inlet located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia about 130km east of Albany.The inlet functions mostly as a result of wave energy and is a wave dominated estuary. The estuary is in a highly modified condition as a result of substantial clearing within the catchment and is eutrophied and prone to fish kills.Covering a total area of 5.5km2, with the central basin having an area of 4.2km2 the inlet is fed with waters from the Pallinup River (Salt River). The inlet holds a volume of 6500000m3 and is enclosed by a 500m long sandbar that opens periodically at intervals of several years.