Following the communist purges in the 1960s, thousands of political prisoners were incarcerated in Buru, and they were mostly placed around the Waeapo River valley.

[5] This was partly due to the valley's topographic features, being surrounded by continuous steep cliffs.

[8] Since 2012, due to gold mining activities in a nearby mountain, mercury has begun leaching into the river, although 2015 measurements indicated acceptable levels.

[10] In August 2020, dam construction began in the river to provide water for irrigation systems and an expected electrical production of 8 MW.

[11] The river valley forms an alluvial plain in the northeast of the island, which comprised the Waeapo district of Buru Regency.