It flows past the Curlew Range and then turns west across the Boomerang Plain eventually discharging into the Gulf of Carpentaria between the mouth of the Mitchell River to the south and the settlement of Pormpuraaw to the north.

[1] The catchment includes the Edward River sub-basin, and area occupies 737.6 square kilometres (285 sq mi).

It contains the towns of Bamboo, Edward River, Glen Garland, Strath-Haven, Strathgordon, Strathmay and Yarraden, which includes the abandoned locale of Ebagoola.

[4] A total of 46 species of fish have been found in the river, including: the sailfin glassfish, barred grunter, shovel-nosed catfish, bigeye trevally, fly-specked hardyhead, golden gudgeon, pennyfish, mouth almighty, barramundi, oxeye herring, rainbowfish and seven-spot archerfish.

[8] At the turn of the 20th century, a gold rush led to conflict with colonial Australians, resulting in several massacres of the Olkola.