Water quality monitoring conducted by the University of the Philippines Los Baños in 1996 revealed increasing concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, TOC, alkalinity, total and dissolved phosphates and nitrates from upstream (Mudspring) to downstream (Kabaritan).

[2] The study noticed that nutrients (phosphates and nitrogen fractions) were generally high near the Los Baños garbage dump.

That area of the river also exhibited the highest biochemical oxygen demand, indicating high biodegradable organic matter content.

UPLB's Senior's Garden, Palma Bridge, Student Union Building, and the Dalambanga statue are also built on its banks, while the main library is on a top of a hill just overlooking Molawin.

[3] At least in the UPLB campus, many legends have come to surround Molawin, or rather Palma bridge is often said to be haunted by a priest who was a prisoner of war, beheaded by the Japanese.