Broke Inlet

{{Short description|Estuary in Western Australia}}

{{Use Australian English|date=December 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox Australian place|type = other

| name = Broke Inlet

| state = wa

| image =

| caption =

| lga = Shire of Manjimup

| local_map = yes

| zoom = 11

| coordinates = {{coord|34|55|40|S|116|26|56|E|region:AU-WA_type:waterbody|display=title, inline}}

| area =

}}

Broke Inlet, originally named Broke's Inlet,{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Willian Nairne |author1-link=William Nairne Clark |title=Journal of a second expedition to the westward of King George's Sound as far as Point Entrecasteaux, in the months of April, May, and June, 1841 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65581899 |access-date=22 July 2021 |work=Inquirer |date=13 October 1841 |location=Perth, WA |page=3}} is an inlet in the South West region of Western Australia located {{convert|19|km|mi|0}} west of Walpole.

The inlet is a large shallow estuary at the eastern end of the d'Entrecasteaux National Park, linked to the Southern Ocean by a narrow seasonally open channel situated between two high sand dune systems.{{cite web|url=http://www.walpole.com.au/pages/coastal-attractions/|title=Walpole-Nornalup - Coastal attractions|year=2008|accessdate=25 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218171336/http://www.walpole.com.au/pages/coastal-attractions/#|archive-date=18 February 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

The inlet is the only large estuary left in the South West that has not been significantly altered by development within its catchment area or along its shores.

The catchment of the inlet has an area of {{convert|928|km2|sqmi|0}} and the inlet itself has a surface area of {{convert|4800|ha|acre|0}} with a total volume of {{convert|72000000|m3|cuft}}.

The inlet receives an annual inflow of {{convert|187000000|m3|cuft}}, mostly from the Shannon River and discharges {{convert|157000000|m3|cuft}} annually.{{cite web|url=http://www.rivercare.southcoastwa.org.au/infodata/shannonc/brokei/broke.html|title=South Coast River Care - Broke Inlet|year=2008|accessdate=25 October 2008}}

The water in the inlet is brackish and generally has half the salinity of sea water. The salinity varies greatly depending on river discharge, the season and whether the bar is open or not.

Broke Inlet is listed as a regionally significant wetland with Environment Australia.{{cite web|url=http://www.script.asn.au/documents/publications/strategy/background/Background_Paper_04_Water_Resources.pdf|title=South Coast Regional Strategy for Natural Resource Management|year=2004|accessdate=25 October 2008|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719092530/http://script.asn.au/documents/publications/strategy/background/Background_Paper_04_Water_Resources.pdf|archivedate=19 July 2008|df=dmy-all}}

The inlet's and locality's names are thought to be based on Philip Broke, captain of {{HMS|Shannon|1806|6}}, a frigate of the Royal Navy, best known for its victory over {{USS|Chesapeake|1799|6}} in 1813. Shannon is the name of both a river and a neighbouring locality. Both names were first recorded on a map in 1833.{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47878883 |title= Where The Shannon River Flows |newspaper=The West Australian |date=5 August 1950 |accessdate=7 October 2024 |page=22 |via=National Library of Australia}}