The Maranoa River is a large river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 situated in south west Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

. The Maranoa passes through Mitchell

Mitchell, Queensland

Mitchell is a town in the Western Downs region of Queensland, Australia. It is on the Warrego Highway, 587 kilometres west of Brisbane and 176 kilometres east of Charleville. At the 2006 census, Mitchell had a population of 944....

 and flows south towards St George

St George, Queensland

St George is a town of approximately 2400 people in south-western Queensland, Australia. It is the administrative centre for the Shire of Balonne. It was named by Major Thomas Mitchell who crossed the Balonne River on St George's Day, 23 April 1846. At the 2006 census, St George had a population of...

. It is a tributary of the Balonne River

Balonne River

The Balonne River, part of the Murray-Darling Basin system, is a short but important part of the inland river group of south-eastern Queensland. This river is a continuation of the Condamine River. After flowing through Surat the river flows south south-westerly down through the E.J...

 which eventually flows into the Darling River

Darling River

The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is long, making it the longest river system in Australia.The...

 (via a few branches), so it contributes to the Murray-Darling Basin

Murray-Darling Basin

The Murray-Darling basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, whose name is derived from its two major rivers, the Murray River and the Darling River. It drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass, and is currently by far the most significant agricultural...

.

The river rises on the Chesterton Range, part of the Consuelo Tableland. The valleys in the river's catchment area are broad rather than gorge

Canyon

A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...

-like as in the nearby Carnarvon Gorge

Carnarvon Gorge

Carnarvon Gorge is located in the Southern Brigalow Belt bioregion in Central Queensland , 593 km northwest of Brisbane. Primarily created by water erosion, Carnarvon Gorge is around 30 kilometres long, and six hundred metres deep at the mouth...

, with isolated bluffs and pillars of sandstone on sandy plains.

The Merivale River

Merivale River

The Merivale River is a river in the Maranoa district of southern Queensland. The river flows in a southerly direction and joins the Maranoa River west of Injune after rising on the southern slopes of the Carnarvon Range near Mount Moffatt....

 is a major tributary of the Maranoa River. The Warrego Highway

Warrego Highway

The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. It connects coastal centres to the south western areas of the state, and is approximately 750 km in length. It takes its name from the Warrego River, which is the endpoint of the highway...

 crosses the river at Mitchell.

A number of Australian folksongs (such as "Sandy Maranoa" and "The Maranoa Drovers") refer to this river.

The Neil Turner Weir

Neil Turner Weir

Neil Turner Weir is a small weir located on the northern side of the town of Mitchell, in Queensland, Australia. The weir holds back the waters of the Maranoa River. A campsite exists, with free toilet facilities...

 was built on the river in 1984. It provides limited supplies for irrigation

Irrigation in Australia

Irrigation in Australia is a widespread practice to supplement low rainfall levels in Australia with water from other sources to assist in the production of crops or pasture. As the driest inhabited continent, irrigation is required in many areas for production of crops for domestic and export use...

purposes as well supplying drinking water for the town of Mitchell. It also regulates streamflow and has recreational uses.

Major flooding on the river occurred in 1990.