[1] It lies along the northeast shore of the Balbina Dam reservoir.

[2] The reserve was originally established in 1990 in the municipalities of São Sebastião do Uatumã and Itapiranga.

The purpose is to preserve the biological diversity of the dense rainforest ecosystem in the basin of the Uatumã River and Jatapu River, and the lake and island ecosystems formed by the Balbina Dam on the Uatumã, and to protect endemic, rare, vulnerable or endangered species.

[8] The conservation unit is supported by the Amazon Region Protected Areas Program.

[9] Protected species in the reserve include the sponge anheteromeyenia ornata and the amazonian manatee (trichechus inunguis).