Abstract: To promote Chinese path to modernization, we must first take water resources into consideration, planning cities, land, people and production by water. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping's ecological civilization thought in the new era, many regions have implemented two major strategies, which are water control and river regulation. Through two methods of river and lake chief system and ecological compensation system, three approaches and institutional guarantee of the river and lake control have been taken to form a new model for the protection and governance of rivers and lakes in China, which are systematic governance, comprehensive inspection, and digital empowerment of rivers and lakes. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the cross-regional joint prevention and control mechanism of the river chief system, continuously enhance public participation, and refine assessment indicators, so as to further enrich and improve the river and lake protection and governance mechanism.
