Over time, some of the
Mitchell River's former headwaters were diverted by natural forces into the Barron. These include the Clohesy River and other tributaries that used to flow northwest to the
Gulf of Carpentaria. With the extra water now flowing over the -high
Barron Falls, the steep, narrow
Barron Gorge was formed. Much of the water that used to flow over the falls has now been diverted in upstream dams and is used to generate electricity at the
Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station. The Barron's headwaters start in the
Mount Hypipamee National Park near Mount Hypipamee at an elevation of . The river then flows north across the Atherton Tablelands before finally turning east after
Mareeba towards
Kuranda. After passing under the
Kuranda Range Highway's bridge and through Kuranda proper, it descends down the -high Barron Falls and reaches the Cairns floodplains near Smithfield. The
Dinner Falls are located along the upper Barron River. The river's catchment area includes the major tributaries flowing into Lake Tinaroo including Kauri, Mazlin, McLean, Maroobi, Peterson and Severin Creeks. It also absorbs most of the major tributaries on the Atherton Tableland, including Emerald Creek, Granite Creek, the Clohesy River and
Stoney Creek. Sand and gravel extraction from the river bed has supplied growing demand in the Cairns area. In the 1970s and 80s extraction rates reached per year, which was twice the replenishment rate at the mouth. This has resulted in considerable
beach erosion to the north. ==History==