It protects one of the last remnants of seasonal deciduous forest in the state on the shore of the reservoir of the Itá Hydroelectric Power Plant.

[2] The park is on the north shore of the lake formed by the dam of the Itá Hydroelectric Power Plant on the Uruguay River, built between 1990 and 2000.

There are about 70 farms in the buffer zone growing various crops and raising dairy cattle, pigs, poultry and sheep.

[4] Studies for implementation of conservation units to compensate for areas flooded by the Itá Dam began in 1990, and in 1994 an ecological station was defined with two parts, one in Santa Catarina and the other in Rio Grande do Sul.

[1] The objective is to conserve and restore biodiversity of the Uruguay River Forest by generating and socializing knowledge and experience.

The forest has typical plant species such as canafístula (Pelthoporum dubium), grápia (Apuleia leocarpa), cedar (Cedrela fissilis) and angico-vermelho (Parapiptadenia rigida).

They include the tufted capuchin (Sapajus apella), lowland paca (Cuniculus paca), southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla), red brocket (Mazama americana), Azara's agouti (Dasyprocta azarae), dusky-legged guan (Penelope obscura), the frog Vitreorana uranoscopa and snakes such as Bothrops neuwiedi and Spilotes pullatus.

The 1,460 metres (4,790 ft) Lajeado Cruzeiro Trail takes one hour and a half for a guided walk, and has a theme of water resources and pollution problems.