Australia's capital, Canberra with 305,000 people, and NSW's largest inland city of Wagga Wagga with 57,000 people, are both situated within the catchment. Other major urban centres and towns include Cooma, Queanbeyan, Yass, Cootamundra, Tumut, Gundagai, Junee, Henty, Narrandera, Leeton, Griffith, Hay and Balranald.

Major tributaries include the Tumut River, Yass River, Tarcutta Creek, Jugiong Creek, Goodradigbee River, Goobarragandra River and Old Man Creek.