Margaret River mouth breaks through for winter | Photos, Video

Video of the breakthrough was captured by the Margaret River Discovery Co’s Sean Blocksidge at the Prevelly location this week, where the tour operator said surfers and bodyboarders were already filling the carpark keen to get in on the flow wave action. 

Mr Blocksidge, who has been monitoring the progress of the swollen river as it made attempts to reach the ocean, the premature breakthrough was a troubling sign.

“I don’t begrudge anyone their fun, but I do wonder if 30 minutes of waves for a few humans is really worth fiddling with the natural rhythms of the river?”

“The river is barely flowing further up at the waterfalls, less than what it would normally be at this time of year. The ground is not fully charged with water.

“I’m no ecologist or hydrologist but I reckon artificially releasing hundreds of thousands of litres of water from an ecosystem you don’t fully understand is probably not a great idea.”

Mr Blocksidge said he was concerned over time the practice of creating the artificial breakthrough would become the norm for residents and visitors.

“Our river is filled with some remarkable aquatic biodiversity, the Pouched Lamprey, Hairy Marron, Long Neck Turtles, Minnows, Pigmy Perch, water birds and important native fringing vegetation,” he said.

“We don’t fully understand how rainfall, tides, moon, flow and river opening affects the lifecycle of some of these animals.”