The Sheldrake River drainage system encompasses part of Mamaroneck Town, New Rochelle, Scarsdale, and a minor portion of White Plains.

A dam and spillway at the south end of Goodliffe Pond drains into a seven-foot-wide (2.1 m) channel that flows east through the Bonnie-Briar Golf Course.

From Goodliffe Pond, the Sheldrake River flows through Mamaroneck Town nearly parallel to Weaver Street and south to Valley Stream Road.

The Sheldrake River and east branch have been classified by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as Class C. According to this state water quality classification, Class C watercourses should be suitable for fishing and fish propagation and discharges to these watercourses must meet standards that enable those uses.

The east branch originates from a small pond in north Harrison at about 400 feet above sea level and then flows southeast 0.7 miles into Forest Lake.

The west branch originates from a wetland and pond and flows about 2.75 miles south/southwest through several storm water management basins to its confluence with the main stem near the intersection of Mamaroneck Avenue and Hutchinson River Parkway.