[3] The river begins at an unnamed lake in geographic Halsey Township[4] in the Unorganized North Part of Sudbury District, and heads northeast under the Canadian Pacific Railway transcontinental main line — used at this point by Via Rail Sudbury – White River train — between the community of Nemegos to the west and Tophet to the east.

The two channels then recombine, and the river heads north, again under the CNR line, takes in the left tributary Shawmere River, passes through The Chutes, a natural water chute, and passes into the Unorganized North Part of Cochrane District at the geographic Nova Township.

Two small hydroelectric generating stations with associated dams and works were proposed by Xeneca Power Development for sites at The Chutes and 30 kilometres (19 mi) downstream at Third Falls.

The two generating stations were proposed to have a capacity of 8.7 MW and the projects received feed-in-tariff contracts from the Ontario Power Authority.

[7] Actions taken by the Ontario Rivers Alliance and its members led to the termination of 19 Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) Contracts.