The Notwane rises about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) south of Ramotswa, and runs along the border in a northeast direction to enter the Limpopo at the same longitude as Mahalapye.

Further upstream, the Ngotwane Dam in Lehurutshe, South Africa has a capacity of 18,000,000 cubic metres (640,000,000 cu ft).

Following a 1992 study on their impact on downstream water resources, a moratorium was placed on construction of small dams in the catchment area.

[6] Whilst the flow of the Notwane is ephemeral; biodiversity is the highest immediately upstream of the Gaborone Dam, north of the confluence with the Taung river.

The riverbed in this area generally retains small pools of water, even during prolonged dry periods.

Birdlife proliferates as one gets nearer to the Gaborone Dam, this includes a number of heron and kingfisher species.

A small population of nile crocodile are resident in the lower courses of the river close to the Gaborone Dam.

The riparian vegetation and surrounding woodland also provides suitable habitat for African rock python and mozambique spitting cobra.