The Thomson, Latrobe and South Gippsland river basins form the West Gippsland region. 

These basins have a direct influence on high value lakes and coastal environments including the Gippsland Lakes and Corner Inlet Ramsar sites.

In the north of our region, the Carran Carran (Thomson River), Wirn wirndook Yeerung (Macalister River), Avon and Perry rivers flow from alpine areas and the forested slopes of the Great Dividing Range. The Thomson and Macalister rivers have their flow regulated by the Thomson Reservoir, Cowwarr Weir and Lake Glenmaggie. The Avon and Perry rivers in the far east of our region are both unregulated.

Durt-Yowan (the Latrobe River) is in the central part of our region, featuring remnant forest through the Strzelecki Ranges and the Great Dividing Range.  Blue Rock Dam and Moondarra Reservoir are two major storages on tributaries of the Latrobe, and Lake Narracan is located upstream of the Yallourn power station.

The major rivers of South Gippsland include the Powlett/Kugerungmome, Tarwin, Franklin, Agnes, Albert and Tarra rivers.  All of the rivers in the South Gippsland basin are unregulated, the Tarwin and Powlett catchments have on-stream storages for domestic water supply.  These rivers all flow from the Strzelecki and Hedley ranges through productive agricultural land as well as areas of high conservation, including Wilsons Promontory and Tarra Bulga National Park.