EstuaryWatch Data Portal

The photo point site was from the beach access - our usual site was unavailable, enclosed by security fences for the new bridge installation works.

Lagoon is enlarged due to sand banking.

Gauge on river is above the water level. i.e.high and dry. See photo. The river channel has been changing dramatically in the past week, see photo. Upstream of the bridge the riverbank and beach are muddy and vegetation has been transported downstream.

Observed debris flow from up-river under the bridge - photos attached. 

Photo 4 is recording extreme erosion and loss of sand along river banks.

Lots of sand movement in the past few weeks. Sand deposited upstream of bridge, see photos attached. Also the river channel has been eroding the beach on the west side adjacent to the Great Ocean Road. In the past few weeks there have been some steep sand banks however these have eroded down. Estuary Watch coincided with high tide.

No wind when we were recording the data hence cannot state a wind direction. The estuary has a very large pool of water upstream and downstream of the bridge. The river has carved a bank into the beach in front of the store. Mack Cheney attended today.

The Wye River was very wide and we experienced difficulty in reading the gauge. Access was problematic. The level was halfway up the gauge ( we dropped a stick to check and test the level) but it was difficult to decipher the reading, even on the attached photo.

The Beaufort Wind strength No was 0, and Calm.

Amazing sea fog this morning, can see some of it in photo 3. Warning sign about e coli had been turned over. Maybe due to low levels reported in October and November.

Water level is not available. The gauge requires repositioning.

Depth gauge in sand above water level.

The water level was well below the depth gauge.

We request a new location when the new bridge is constructed.

Water level - marker buried in sand , photo attached 

The water level is below the gauge.

Beach upstream of bridge continues to grow!

No water flowing at river gauge, so cannot ascertain the level. Large sandbank has reappeared upstream of the bridge. River channel has headed to the southern end of the beach.

Water level below depth gauge.

River water level below the gauge- see photo.Wyp2 - 4

River water level below gauge.

Wye river well below the water level gauge.

Dune restoration - sand has been moved from the south side of the beach to north side and the north side of the river - see photos 1,2,3

The water level was below the gauge, photo attached.

There was no wind, very calm - 0 strength.

Water level gauge above water level, see photo.

5th January, after heavy rain the sandbar has been washed out, and the level is much lower.

Water level couldn't be read because the scale of the stick isn't in the water - see photo 

River level well below depth gauge.

The water level is below the marker

Water level was below the measurement marker.

Monitoring conducted during normal daily exercise.

Monitoring performed during daily exercise walk - in the rain.

Additional two photos of continued machine sand shifting.

Apologies for the 'portrait' photos instead of landscape.

It was a very calm and still day, hence no wind direction recorded.

The bottom of the river gauge is rather dirty and difficult to read. Assessment of the water level was made as accurately as possible.

Photos show the piles of sand moved by machinery to the front of the dune area where the erosion has occurred over the past months. Sand has been moved by an excavator from the beach south of the estuary into piles around the base of the dunes. These piles of sand extend around to the dunes in front of the surf club.

Work is underway to place sandbags around the base of the dunes to hinder further erosion which has the potential to impact the surf club building.

Monitoring conducted during normal exercise walk.

Additional photos of tidal sand-shifting effect as well manual sand-shifting to modify river course and subsequent tidal effect..  

More dune erosion in front of surf club due to stormy weather last weekend, disabled access ramp collapsed.

Bulldozer active during week moving sand across beach from south to north to protect dunes - sand heaps visible in photos

Gauge is much higher than the water level in the river channel where the gauge is located, not possible to take a reading as it is 'high and dry'.

Gauge above the water level.

The river gauge is well above the river level. See photo.

Erosion at SLSC boatramp continues, it is just 'hanging on.'

Water in lagoon is stratified - clear on top, murky below. Most likely due to rotting seaweed washed in in big storm 3 weeks ago.

Mack Cheney was present at EW . He is a new member whose name is not yet on the drop down list. 

I  have assumed the new bridge photopoints- -are 3,4,5 on the list?  

The photos are taken from the new spot on the bridge, which we are calling 'Wyp2'. We have included a third photo along the bearing 60 (called Wyp2_20210307_3_071) to show the full extent of the estuary. Erosion is continuing on the north side of the beach.

Photo taken at second photo point as well

This monitoring was conducted during regular exercise walk.

Monitoring conducted as part of regular daily exercise walk.

Depth gauge was above water level - see photograph.

50mm rainfall previous day (3rd January) resulted in heavy, fast, silt-laden river flow.

This monitoring was performed as part of a normal exercise walk.

This monitoring was performed during a normal daily exercise walk.

This monitoring was conducted as part of regular daily walking exercise.

Monitoring performed during normal daily exercise walk.

Shifting sand seems to have permanently shifted course of river-flow into the sea, now hugging the bank and exiting in front of the Surf Life Saving Club building.

Depth gauge above water level.

Monitoring performed during regular exercise walk.

River level below depth gauge - see photograph.

Monitoring was performed as part of normal daily exercise walk.

Water level was an estimation as depth gauge was above water level.

Monitoring was performed during regular walking exercise.

Monitoring was conducted as part of a normal exercise dog walk.

River course under bridge still narrowed - depth gauge in sand.

Monitoring was conducted during regular exercise walk.

Depth gauge now in sand following shifting of sand during recent weather event - see photograph.

This monitoring performed during regular exercise walk.

This monitoring was performed during normal exercise dog-walk.

Monitoring performed during normal daily exercise.

This monitoring was done as part of daily dog-walking exercise.

This monitoring was conducted as part of a normal exercise walk.

This monitoring was performed as part of normal daily exercise walk.

This monitoring was carried out as part of a daily exercise walk.

This monitoring was performed as part of a normal exercise walk.

This monitoring was done during regular dog walking exercise.

Photos attached  of roadside flooding after recent rain event.  There is a drainage grid and outlet pipe, which don't seem able to cope at these times.