It flows for the most part in a northerly direction from headwaters in Timor's central mountains; after running past the eastern edge of the Baucau Plateau, it discharges into Wetar Strait.

Watercourses passing over the scaly clay have caused severe erosion, gullying, landsliding and slumping, and typically flow through V-shaped valleys and rapids.

In terms of topography, it is therefore suitable for cultivation, although considerable limitations are imposed by rock outcrops (such as the Baucau Plateau) on its usefulness for that purpose.

It is also far more labour intensive, with the consequence that Timorese tend to engage in it only when they feel compelled to do so, commonly as a result of population pressure.

[2]: 155, 160, 166  At the mouth of the river, the paddy fields are saline;[2]: 163  mud flats north of the Baucau–Lautém road are not cultivated due to the risk of incoming seawater during the northwest monsoon.

Traditionally, most of the grazing is carried out in the form of relatively uncontrolled free ranging, both of large animals such as buffaloes, horses and Bali cattle or smaller livestock including pigs, goats and sheep.

[2]: 140 The top ranking livestock are water buffaloes, which in Timor have traditionally been kept predominantly for prestige and sacrificial purposes, but are also sometimes been used for ploughing or 'treading' rice paddies.

[2]: 140–144 In relation to the grazing of large livestock, a difficulty is presented by the dry season in the catchment, during which grasses are withered and have very low nutritive value, and supplementary feeding of hay and silage is little known.

To some extent, this difficulty can be addressed by the raising of cattle instead of buffalo, and by the driving of livestock to the area's perennial streams, including the Seiçal River, or to the mountains.

[2]: 189 Of the smaller livestock kept in the catchment and in Timor, pigs are of a social significance second only to that of buffaloes, as they, too, are important for traditional sacrifices and ceremonial feasts.