Towards the end of the Jedi Civil War, the Republic established an illegal kolto-mining station there, under the leadership of Kono Nolan. Its intense kolto harvesting activity disturbed the Progenitor, who then drove Selkath scientists mad, making them attack each other until the Station became inoperative.
Later, Revan, sent by the Republic to investigate the loss of communication with the station, made his way through the crazed Selkath, and hostile Firaxae to finally destroy the harvesting machine, causing the Progenitor to become calm.
It is believed that the abundance of Kolto in the Rift had been caused by the installation of a Star Map during the reign of the Infinite Empire, as the Rakata had affected the geology of some of the planets they enslaved.