Post-Seroja dredging works enable safe passage through Kalbarri river mouth

Vessels can now safely navigate the entrance channel at the mouth of the Murchison River following the completion of dredging works brought forward by cyclone Seroja. The Department of Transport expedited its planned maintenance for the Kalbarri site after a severe winter, combined with the impacts of cyclone Seroja, saw concerning levels of infilling, making navigation more dangerous. DoT director coastal facilities Donna West said a record 95,000 cubic metres of material had been extracted since September, increasing the navigable width of the channel from approximately three metres to 140 metres. “This is an excellent result for the local fishing and charter industry operators who had expressed concern about the depth of the channel after last winter,” she said. “The benefit will be a safer passage for skippers through what are known to be treacherous waters in poor conditions.” Some of the dredged material was added to Chinaman’s Beach and on the foreshore area northeast of the marine rescue boat ramp. The remaining material was pumped approximately 1km north of the river mouth.