The district surrounding the river produces cereal crops and sheep for both meat and wool, as well as market gardens, almond orchards and vineyards.

The mouth is in the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park—Winaityinaityi Pangkara, which consists primarily of mangroves in the tidal flats as the river empties into Gulf St Vincent.

[3] The Angle Vale Bridge, located over the river on Heaslip Road in Angle Vale, was a laminated timber deck arch bridge built in 1876.

Major overtopping in large floods occurs along much of the river length.

Significant flooding commences within Gawler township from both the North and South Para Rivers.