the reserve is slightly north of the city of rio de janeiro, with about 70 kilometers separating the wilderness of the reserve from the noise and energy of the marvelous city and has played an important role in the history of the region, with a collection of natural water springs, which have produced a basin, and a source of clean water for the state.

the water in the reserve has been used to supply clean water to the surrounding areas since the days of the empire, which is one of the contributing factors for the area becoming the first environmental protection unit in the region, in 1941.

however, it was not until 1989, after a petition signed by 10,000 citizens, and state decree 97,780, that the region was officially created as a biological reserve, allowing much greater protection of the region, and severely limiting human activities here.