Abstract: Tailings heaps as a unique artificial landforms characterized by a platform-steep slope pattern. This pattern creates conducive conditions for rainfall-induced runoff erosion. Exploring the response erosion processes of tailings heaps to covering measures under rainfall-inflow conditions is of great significance for evaluating the slope erosion protection effect of temporary measures. Two types of covering measures by dust-proof net and reinforced mike mat were designed in the experiment, with the bare slope serving as the control. Artificial simulation experiments of rainfall-inflow were conducted using indoor soil troughs (2.0 m ×0.5 m × 0.35 m) with two flow discharge rates (7 and 14 L min^-1) and three rainfall intensities (90、120 and 150 mm h^-1) under the slope gradients of 36. The results showed that covering measures of dust-proof net and reinforced mike mat both could effectively reduce the fluctuation in runoff yield rate. Compared to bare slopes, when the inflow rate was 7 L min^-1, the fluctuation cycles of runoff yield rates were extended by 2 to 5 minutes under the measures of dust-proof net and reinforced mike. When the inflow rate increased to 14 L min^-1, the fluctuation cycles of runoff yield rates were extend by 5 minutes. Furthermore, dust-proof net and reinforced mike mat both could significantly reduce sediment accumulation in the slope of tailings heaps. Compared with control, when the inflow rate was 7 L min^-1, the sediment reduction rates of dust-proof nets and reinforced mike mat were 28.80% and 23.26% respectively. When the inflow rate increased to 14 L min^-1, the protective efficacy of the two covering measures declined, and the sediment reduction rates dropped to 6.94% and 7.71% respectively. The reduction of flow and controlling sediment by dust-proof net and reinforced mike mat both show a single-peak curve pattern under the rainfall-inflow erosion conditions. Compared to the control, the erosion gullies on the slope surface were suppressed under both covering measures in this study. For the inflow rate was 7 L min^-1, the flow regimes shifted from subcritical-laminar to supercritical-laminar with the rainfall intensity increased. When the inflow rate increased to 14 L min^-1, the flow regimes shifted from laminar flow to turbulent flow. With the inflow rate and rainfall intensity increased, the flow regimes and patterns of the two covering measures tended to be consistent. When the inflow rate was 7 L min^-1, the factor P values of the temporary measures for dust-proof nets and reinforced mike mat were 0.71 and 0.77 respectively. When the inflow rate increased to 14 L min^-1, the corresponding P values rose to 0.99 and 0.97 respectively. Two types of covering measures by dust-proof net and reinforced mike mat were effective in protecting against soil erosion, and their protective effectiveness weakens as the inflow rate increased under the combined effects of rainfall and runoff. The results provided theoretical guidance for selection of covering measures on the heaps slope in production and construction projects, and the important parameters identified in this study would be helpful for disturbed soil accumulation erosion prediction model establishment.