[1] It flows from south to north, and drains into the Atlantic Ocean about 11 miles (18 km) west of San Juan.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers is undertaking a major flood control project in the river basin.

[10] It destroyed the school, the police station, countless homes and businesses in Comerio,[11] and other municipalities along the river.

In mid 2018, the United States Army Corps of Engineers announced it would be undertaking a major flood control project of the river basin, with a $500 million budget.

[12] By mid 2019, a project by the USACE to mitigate the flooding risk to Toa Baja by The Plata River had not yet begun.