Elevations in the watershed range from in the headwaters on Tumala Mountain to at the river mouth. Prominent landforms include Ladee Flats, a flat-topped ridge composed of lava flows resistant to erosion. The North Fork valley is narrow and steep, and a waterfall from the mouth limits passage of migratory fish. Native rainbow and cutthroat trout are found in the upper river and its tributaries, while the lower river has winter and summer steelhead, coho salmon, spring chinook, and stocked rainbow trout.