The area was part of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp (or Great Swamp), an extensive wetlands ecosystem encompassing more than 40,000 hectares of dense swamp from Tooradin to Bunyip.
The swamp was fed by a 2,208 square kilometre catchment that included the three major drainage basins of Cardinia Creek, Bunyip River and Lang Lang River catchments.
Prior to European settlement, the Yallock Creek formed the only permanent outlet from the swamp into Western Port Bay.

The Lower Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District was proclaimed in 1917 and work commenced.

The whole reclaimed swampland came under the control of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission.

The Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works became the Melbourne metropolitan drainage authority.

After several significant floods in the region, a drainage improvement scheme was implemented.

Due to urban expansion, the Koo Wee Rup region became an area of market gardens and potatoes replaced dairy farms as the dominant land use. An irrigation system was developed to provide for this expansion.

Construction of the Yallock Outfall Drain commenced. The outfall split the flow of the Bunyip Main Drain at Cora Lynn. This decreased the flows in the Bunyip Main Drain reducing the frequency of overtopping the drain levees and provided flood mitigation benefits to the Koo Wee Rup township.

The recently formed Dandenong Valley Authority extended their jurisdiction to include the Koo Wee Rup-Longwarry Flood Protection District. The Longwarry Drainage Board and the Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection Board also had responsibilities in the area.

The Dandenong Valley and Westernport Authority (formerly Dandenong Valley Authority) was merged with the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works to form Melbourne Water.

Melbourne Water took over management of the District.

The Koo Wee Rup–Longwarry Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee for the District was in full swing and continues to meet to this day.