Abstract: In order to improve the water use coefficient and understand the irrigation canal running status and to improve irrigation management level, the channel unsteady flow simulation method was used to analyze the water flow change characteristics in several different cases and the feasibility of irrigation canal leakage detection. The front 10 km irrigation canal of the Stone River Reservoir Irrigation District east main canal was taken as study object .The results showed that unsteady flow simulation method can timely understand the irrigation canal running status , and also can detect the leakage position of irrigation canal by combining with the water level measurement, so as to provide references for ensuring the irrigation canal safe operation and optimizing management.