Overview

Estuary name Barham River Estuary
CMA Corangamite CMA
Description

The Barham enters the sea between Apollo Bay and Marengo after meandering across a broad tidal waterway, an uncommon river style within the region. The Barham River Estuary is 2.980km in length, with a catchment area of 192.1Ha that contains several geologically significant sites.

Estuary Values
  • significant birds species found on the Barham River estuary are the Eastern Great Egret (Ardea modesta) Status: Vulnerable (Adv List) , Whiskered Tern (Childonias hybrida) Status: Near Threatened (Adv List) , Fairy Tern (Stemula nereis nereis) Status: Vulnerable (EPBC), Endangered (Adv List) and the Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubricollis) Status: Vulnerable (Adv List and EPBC)
  • a significant fish species found on the Barham River estuary is the Australian Grayling.
  • the Barham River supplies water to Apollo Bay
  • canoeing
  • picnics
  • walking
  • camping
  • recreational fishing.
Estuary Threats
  •  degraded riparian vegetation
  • stock access
  • bank erosion
  • invasive flora and fauna
  • reduced connectivity
  •  poor water quality


 

Data Site observations
Status Active
Monitor group Barham EstuaryWatchers
Document Barham River Estuary Fact Sheet

Map

Sites

Site details Options

BM1 - P Barham BM1- Phys/Chem

Active Physico-Chemical 12-12-2018 - 03-04-2019
Observations 5

BM2-P Barham BM2-P Phys/Chem

Active Physico-Chemical 12-12-2018 - 03-04-2019
Observations 5

BmGB Barham River Water Level Gauge Board

Active Gauge Board
The water level gauge board is located on the eastern river bank beside the Great Ocean Road bridge.

BmMC Barham River Observation Site

Active Mouth Condition 23-05-2008 - 21-03-2024
Fence corner 17th hole.
Observations 154

BmP1 Barham River P1- Golf Course

Retired Photopoint 02-04-2010 - 21-03-2019

Fence corner 17th hole.

Photos 71

BmP2 Barham River P2- Ocean Road

Active Photopoint 29-08-2010 - 22-03-2024
Fishing platform
Photos 133

BmP3 Barham River P3- Golf Course

Active Photopoint 01-01-2013 - 22-03-2024
Enter via walking track from the carpark at the corner of Gambier and Trafalgar Street. Follow the track to the 6th hole of the golf course.
Photos 165

Recent Events

Event Details
03-05-2019 Estuary Entrance Opening

24-04-2019 at 10.00 the Barham River mouth is closed. Seas are smooth and the Estuary height is 1.28m.

30-04-2019 at 17.00 the river mouth has remained closed and the Estuary height is now !.82m.

02-05-2019 at 10.30 the Estuary height is now 1.895m.

03-05-2019 at 10.45 there has been a natural river mouth opening and the estuary height has fallen to 0.96m.

10-04-2019 Estuary Entrance Opening

09-04-2019 11.00 the Barham River mouth is closed and the estuary height is 1.54m. The wind is a fresh Westerly and the seas are rough. High tide is at 14.30. At 17.00 the estuary height is 1.64m and the berm clearance is 0.15m.

10-04-2019 at 09.00 the river mouth has naturally opened and the estuary height has fallen to 1.34m.

23-03-2019 Estuary Entrance Opening

14/03/2019 at 16.30 the Barham river mouth is closed. Seas are slight and the estuary height is 1.51m.  The closure would have happened 4 to 6 days prior to this date.

15/03/2019 the estuary height is 1.55m and the berm clearance is 0.25m.

20/03/2019 at noon the estuary height is 1.64m.

22/03/2019 at 14.30 the estuary height is 1.92m. Seas are slight and it is a light E wind. At 17.50 the estuary height is 1.935m and there is an artificial opening but at this time  it is not working, there is no flow out. Berm clearance is less than 0.1m. Reports of greater rainfall totals in the hills than on the coast.

23/03/2019, the river mouth is open into slight seas and a fresh  N wind. The estuary height is 0.7m.

Photos taken when the Estuary height is 1.935m.

25-03-2019 15:40
25-03-2019 15:40
25-03-2019 15:40
02-03-2019 Estuary Entrance Opening

23/02/2019 at 12.30 the Barham river mouth is closed and the estuary height is 1.03m.

27/02/2019 at 10.30 the estuary height is1.21m, the berm clearance is 0.1m and the Paradise river gauge is low and at 0.177m.

01/03/2019 at 17.30 the estuary height is 1.30m.

02/03/2019 at 09.15 the river mouth is open to smooth seas with a fresh N wind. The estuary height is 0.82m.

Low river flows have been a dominant factor in this seasons river mouth closures to this date.

20-02-2019 Estuary Entrance Opening

09/02/2019 at 09.30 the Barham river mouth has closed. Slight seas and a fresh to strong SW wind. The estuary height is 1.1m.

11/02/2019 the estuary height is 1.40m but the berm clearance is minimal.

12/02/2019 at 18.30 the estuary height is 1.52m. Berm clearance is 0.25m. Sea conditions are moderate to rough.

17/02/2019 at 09.45 the estuary height is 1.80m and the berm clearance is 0.1m.

18/02/2019 at noon the estuary height is 1.81m and there is a failed artificial river mouth opening. The Paradise river flow gauge is at 0.190m.

19/02/2019 the estuary height is1.82m.

20/02/2019 at 09.45 the river mouth is open into slight seas with a moderate W wind. The estuary height is 0.91m.

08-02-2019 Estuary Entrance Opening

15/01/1019 at 10.00 the Barham river mouth is closed, seas are slight aand a light E breeze. Berm has minimal clearance. The estuary height is 0.83m. The Paradise river gauge is 0.202m.

23/01/2019 the estuary height is 1.08m and the river gauge is 0..188m.

28/01/2019 at 17.30 the river mouth is closed but with zero berm clearance. Estuary height is 1.34m.

29/01/2019 there are moderate seas.

31/01/2019 the estuary height is 1.45m.

07/02/2019 the estuary height is 1.575m.

08/02/2019 at  18.30  the river mouth has opened into smooth seas and the estuary height is 1.538m.

14-12-2018 Estuary Entrance Opening

13/12/2018 at 18.15 the Barham river mouth is closed, seas are slight and a gentle NW breeze. Berm clearance is 0.1m and the estuary height is 1.02m.

14/12/2018 at 14.45 the river mouth is just open. Flow is out into rough seas and a strong Easterly wind.The Estuary height is 1.44m.

Later at 18.15 the river mouth is still open but estuary height is 1.48m. Tide is going out.

13/12/2018 at 08.30 the Paradise river flow gauge is at 0.228m. On 14/12/2018 at 11.15 the river gauge is at 0.30m.

12-12-2018 Estuary Entrance Opening

09/12/2018 the Barham river mouth is closed, a light breeze and slight seas. The estuary height is 0.98m. The Paradise river flow gauge is at 0.23m.

11/12/2018 the river mouth is closed and the estuary height is 1.20m.

12/12/2018 at 15.00 the river mouth is open, water flowing out to smooth seas. The estuary height is 0.96m.

03-12-2018 Estuary Entrance Opening

At 13.00 the Barham river mouth is closed with minimal berm clearance. The seas are rough with gale force West winds. The estuary height is approximately 1.25 m.

The following day, the 04/12/2018 the river mouth is open and the estuary height is 1.12m.

Even against moderate river flow the strong Westerly weather has made this the 3rd short term river mouth closure for the new season.

The chances of a closure may have been increased by dune replenishment works. Sand from the harbour [NE of the river mouth] has been trucked to the SW of the river mouth to rebuild the dune supporting the Great Ocean Road. That area of the dune is vulnerable to SE storms especially.  Of note the sand from the harbour has tested as being 50% fine sand while the original dune in that area was 30% fine sand. There may be an increase in the amount of sand travelling past the river mouth, West to East.

23-11-2018 Estuary Entrance Opening

At 09.45 the Barham river mouth is closed and the estuary height is 1.11m. The West wind is strong and the sea is moderate. The Paradise river gauge is at 0.29m. There has been 14mm of rain in the last 48 hours but there is no sediment in the river flow. At 14.00 the estuary height is approximately 1.2m.

The following day, 24/11/2018 the river mouth is open and the estuary height is 1.1m.

07-11-2018 Estuary Entrance Opening

The Barham river mouth is closed with minimal berm clearance. The estuary height is approximately 1.2m. Days of strong West/NthWest winds with rough seas has pushed sand into the river mouth. The Paradise river gauge is at 0.24m.

On the 08/11/2018 the river mouth is open and the flow is out.

View all events

Estuary Snapshots

The EstuaryWatch snapshots provide a summary of estuary condition on a particular day. For all EstuaryWatch Snapshots, photopoint photos and a longitudinal water quality profile from the estuary mouth  to the inland extent is displayed. Read more

Full and partial estuary snapshots displayed below View full snapshots only

Autumn 2019


Summer 2019


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