Sherlock River (Western Australia)
Encyclopedia
The Sherlock River is a river
in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
.
The headwaters of the river rise from numerous springs on the Abydos Plain below the Mungaroona Range near the western edge of the Mungaroona Range Nature Reserve then flows in a northerly direction past the Chichester Range
and then continuing North. The river crosses the North West Coastal Highway
near Mount Fraser before discharging into Sherlock Bay and the Indian Ocean
.
The river forms a large estuary at the river mouth with an area of 89.7 square kilometres (35 sq mi)
Major pools exist along the length of the river including; Coonanarrinna Pool and Weedeemilegener Pool.
The main riverbed is very wide and is mostly dry, with a minor ocean outlet from a large salt marsh
estuarine area that contains small areas of mangrove
s.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The headwaters of the river rise from numerous springs on the Abydos Plain below the Mungaroona Range near the western edge of the Mungaroona Range Nature Reserve then flows in a northerly direction past the Chichester Range
Chichester Range
The Chichester Range is a range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The range rises abruptly from the coastal plain and is composed of rolling hills, escarpments, jagged peaks, gorges and winding tree-lined watercourses....
and then continuing North. The river crosses the North West Coastal Highway
North West Coastal Highway
North West Coastal Highway in Western Australia is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the fishing town of Geraldton with the iron ore port of Port Hedland. It is long, and constructed as a sealed 2-lane single carriageway with overtaking lanes in some parts. It was...
near Mount Fraser before discharging into Sherlock Bay and the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
The river forms a large estuary at the river mouth with an area of 89.7 square kilometres (35 sq mi)
Major pools exist along the length of the river including; Coonanarrinna Pool and Weedeemilegener Pool.
The main riverbed is very wide and is mostly dry, with a minor ocean outlet from a large salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
estuarine area that contains small areas of mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s.