The Loess Plateau is the region with the most serious soil and water loss in China, and decades of soil and water conservation have remarkable achievements. As our country has put the construction of ecological civilization at the height of national strategy, it is necessary to systematically summarize the current situation of soil and water conservation models of the Loess Plateau. Based on the systematic analysis of soil and water conservation measures system and watersheds' land use conditions, we sorted out and summarized the management models of 6 typical watersheds in the Loess Plateau, including 6 models which were gully control and land reclamation, erosion control and sand fixation, ecological agriculture development, three major systems, terrace development and efficient use of water resources, respectively. Through the comparison of each soil and water conservation model, we found that the comprehensive management models of small watersheds mainly used environmental management to make the space for human being surviving and developing better. The construction of the technical system of soil and water conservation measures reflected the characteristics of the regulation from slope to gully areas and the combination of engineering and biological measurements. However, management models had different manifestations under different ecological environment status and socio-economic conditions. Based on the similarities and differences of soil and water conservation models of different small watersheds, the soil and water loss management models of watersheds were discussed from the aspects of natural geographical conditions and needs of social and economic development, and the mechanism framework of how the soil and water conservation models of the Loess Plateau form were put forward to provide references for soil and water loss management of the Loess Plateau, and ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin.