Bow River (Western Australia)

This article is about a river in southern Western Australia. For a river of the same name in northern Western Australia, see Bow River (Kimberley region, Western Australia). For a river of the same name in Canada, see Bow River.

Bow River
Location
Country	Australia
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Frankland State Forest
• elevation	110 m (360 ft)
Mouth
• location	Irwin Inlet
Length	22 km (14 mi)
Basin size	119 km2 (46 sq mi)

The Bow River is a river in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, not to be confused with Bow River in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia.

The river rises on the eastern edge of the Frankland State Forest and flows in a southerly direction discharging into Irwin Inlet, which opens to the Southern Ocean at Foul Bay.

Bow River is a fresh water river with potential to be used as a water source in the area.

The hamlet of Bow Bridge, once a timber milling and farming settlement, is located where the South Coast Highway crosses Bow River, about 25 km East of Walpole.

Forms of environmental damage have been identified at the river and its wetlands, including:

• Exotic weed infestation from Watsonia, Blackberry and exotic grasses
• Feral animals such as pigs and foxes
• Water pollution from excess fertiliser loads added by local agricultural activity.
• Pathogens such as Phytophthora.