Photo 3 (Return)

Mouth of the Axe Estuary, 2001. Drift within Seaton Bay has produced a substantial gravel spit that has deflected the inlet of the Axe eastward in front of formerly active marine cliffs. The inlet is maintained with the assistance of periodic dredging and a short training structure along the eastern inlet margin. The estuary has been extensively reclaimed along its west bank (to left), reducing its tidal prism and contributing to the instability of the inlet. A small ebb-tidal delta just seaward of the mouth is indicated by the flow pattern.