The Shaw River is an ephemeral

Ephemeral

Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....

 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...

 in the Pilbara region of Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

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The headwaters of the river rise below the Chichester Range

Chichester Range

The Chichester Range is a range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The range rises abruptly from the coastal plain and is composed of rolling hills, escarpments, jagged peaks, gorges and winding tree-lined watercourses....

 near Emu Springs and flow in northerly direction through Hillside. The river is braided and has many islands in the riverbed including Long Island and Rocky Island. The river continues through Gorge Range and flows north until discharging into the De Grey River

De Grey River

The De Grey River is a river located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The river rises South of Callawa at the confluence of the Oakover and the Nullagine rivers and flows in a west north westerly direction eventually discharging into the Indian Ocean via Breaker Inlet about 80 km North...

, of which it is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

, just south of the North West Coastal Highway

North West Coastal Highway

North West Coastal Highway in Western Australia is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the fishing town of Geraldton with the iron ore port of Port Hedland. It is long, and constructed as a sealed 2-lane single carriageway with overtaking lanes in some parts. It was...

 approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) East of Port Headland

Port Hedland, Western Australia

Port Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....

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The river has 23 tributaries including; Big Creek, Tambourah Creek, Coolargarrak Creek, Dalton Creek and Miralga Creek. It also flows through one major pool; Coondina Pool.

During drought

Drought

A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...

 conditions the river can have zero flow for up to 4 years at a time.

The water quality

Water quality

Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...

 of the river is dependent on flow but has an average salinity

Salinity

Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...

 of 110 mg/L and a turbidity

Turbidity

Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality....

of 78 NTU.