In order to investigate the response of water and salt distribution in the Tamarix-soil system to groundwater depth under saline conditions, a soil column experiment was carried out with Tamarix chinensis planted under four treatments with different groundwater depths (0.9 m, 1.2 m, 1.5 m, and 1.8 m). The soil relative water content (RWC), soil salt content (S_C), and absolute concentration of soil solution (C_S) were determined in different profiles of water content and Na⁺ content of the leaves and new branches of T. chinensis. The RWC in each soil profile was negatively correlated with the groundwater depth, and the maximum values for each soil layer were observed in groundwater depth treatment that was 0.9 m deep. With the increase in soil depth, the RWC in this treatment increased initially and then decreased, while it constantly increased at other groundwater depths. The results showed that the 1.2 m groundwater depth treatment was the greatest depth to which water could reach and keep the soil surface moist in the soil column planted with T. chinensis. With the increase in groundwater depth, S_C and C_S of each soil profile increased initially and then decreased, displaying a parabola pattern, The maximum content at each soil layer was observed in the 1.2 m groundwater depth treatment. With the increase in soil depth, S_C in all groundwater depth treatments decreased initially and then increased, while C_S decreased gradually. The change range of C_S between soil layers increased with the increase of groundwater depth. Significant differences were not observed (P>0.05) between the water content in either the leaves or new branches of Tamarix at different groundwater depths, while the content of Na⁺ in the leaves increased gradually and that in the new branches decreased after an initial increase. For the whole Tamarix-soil column, the mean of RWC decreased gradually with the increase in groundwater depth, whereas the mean of S_C or C_S increased initially followed by a decrease. The groundwater depth of 1.2 m is the demarcation point of salinity change, suggesting that the groundwater depth for Tamarix should be more than 1.2 m.