The Canning River ( or ) is a major

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the Swan River in the

South West Land Division The South West Land Division is one of five Land Divisions of Western Australia, a part of the lands administrative divisions of Western Australia, cadastral divisions of Western Australia. It includes the cities of Perth, Albany, Western Au ...

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. It is home to much wildlife including dolphins, pelicans, swans and many other bird species.

Source and route

With headwaters on the Darling Scarp, the Canning meanders through suburbs of

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

on the

Swan Coastal Plain The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geol ...

, including Cannington, Thornlie, Riverton, Shelley, Rossmoyne and Mount Pleasant, before joining the Swan at Melville Water just downstream of the Canning Bridge.

Bridges

* Canning Bridge * Mount Henry Bridge * Shelley Bridge * Riverton Bridge * Kent Street Weir Bridge * Greenfield Street Bridge * Canning River Downstream Bridge * Canning River Upstream Bridge * Djarlgarra Bridge Easthbound * Djarlgarra Bridge Westbound * unnamed railway bridge * Royal Street Bridge * unnamed pedestrian bridge * Burslem Bridge * unnamed railway bridge * Jenna Biddi Footbridge * unnamed railway bridge * unnamed pedestrian bridge * Cargeeg Bridge * unnamed road bridge * Manning Road Footbridge

Points

* Coffee Point (east of Point Heathcote on the Swan River) * Deepwater Point (on western shore in Mount Pleasant) * Salter Point (very narrow part of river between Salter Point suburb on north side, Rossmoyne/Shelley border on south) * Prisoner Point (south shore in Shelley suburb, east of Shelley Beach) * Wadjup Point (north west of Shelley Bridge)

History

The first European contact was in 1801 when a French exploring party spotted the mouth. The crew subsequently named the mouth Entrée Moreau after Charles Moreau, a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

with the party. The Canning River received its contemporary name in 1827 when Captain James Stirling aboard following an examination of the region in March 1827 named the river after

George Canning George Canning (; 11 April 17708 August 1827) was a British Tory statesman. He held various senior cabinet positions under numerous prime ministers, including two important terms as foreign secretary, finally becoming Prime Minister of the U ...

, an eminent British statesman who was Prime Minister of Great Britain at the time and whose government facilitated the funds for the expedition. In November 1829, just five months after the founding of the

Swan River Colony The Swan River Colony, also known as the Swan River Settlement, or just ''Swan River'', was a British colony established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. This initial settlement place on the Swan River was soon named Perth, an ...

, an exploring party led by now Governor James Stirling chose a site for a new town named Kelmscott on the banks of the Canning River.

Convicts

Convicts partly constructed and maintained the Canning River Convict Fence. This structure is still a notable landmark to this day. It was built primarily for the use of barges carrying timber from Mason's Timber Mill in the Darling Ranges.

Algae bloom

Algal bloom An algal bloom or algae bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in fresh water or marine water systems. It is often recognized by the discoloration in the water from the algae's pigments. The term ''algae'' encompass ...

s occur naturally in the Canning River system; they are caused by a buildup of nutrients in the river. Human activities including farming, residential gardens and parklands are the major causes of increases in levels; the blooms are potentially toxic to both mammal and marine life. The Swan River Trust monitors the levels of nutrients and growth of the algae, issuing warnings and closing sections of the river to all activities. The Trust also operates cleanup programs to reduce the amount of nutrients reaching the river, as well phosphorus removal and oxygenation in areas were blooms have been identified. The Trust is encouraged by the appearance of '' Azolla'' carpets on sections of the Canning River as this fern is known to reduce the amount of sunlight available to the algae as well as absorbing large amounts of phosphorus and other nutrients from the water. However, it is possible that ''Azolla'' carpets can cause deoxygenation and emit a strong sulphur smell.

Source and route

Bridges

Points

History

Convicts

Algae bloom

See also

References

Further reading