It is a hot issue that to study the relationship between land use pattern and river water quality by the principle of landscape ecology at the watershed scale. Based on the overview of the international research of this issue, this paper discussed the importance of landscape pattern in the study of water environment at the watershed scale, analyzed and classified the research methods of the relationship between landscape pattern and river water quality at the watershed scale. The watershed landscape-water quality models were also overviewed. The scientific problems and hot direction of the research of landscape pattern and river water quality were also put forword.