The river rises on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, formed by the confluence of the Queensland branch of the Severn River and the Tenterfield Creek, east of Glenlyon Dam in Queensland.
The river rises on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, near Mole River in New South Wales. The upper reaches of the Dumaresq River, namely the Queensland branch of the Severn River, form north of Stanthorpe, in Queensland.