In most years, the Wilson Inlet bar is opened, primarily to mitigate against flooding adjacent low-lying land. The timing and location of the opening is managed by the Water Corporation as per an agreed protocol. In 2017, the bar was opened by dredging a channel to the ocean at an Inlet water level of 1.27 m AHD and 100 metres from the Western cliffs reference point.
This was the highest bar opening since 1978 which had an estimated elevation of 1.25 m AHD at the time of opening.
Approximately 27 GL of water (~14% of the Inlet volume) was discharged to the ocean in the first 24 hours post-opening. The volumetric flow rate was recorded as 210 m³/s on the Friday at 2 pm. The high water level and strong flow effectively scoured the bar to a width of approximately 150 metres.
The Inlet height, the opening, impact on the bar and ocean discharge was captured with a drone by Ash Ramsay (Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, South West region).