Abstract: According to the monitoring data in the Xiangjiang River from 1981 to 2000, selecting ten main pollutants, employing average pollution index method, the authors analyzed the water quality change in the Xiangjiang River from 1981 to 2000 and compared the water quality of different river sections in its mainstream. The results show that: (1) the overall water quality in the Xiangjiang River had become worse during the 1990s and the main pollutants which caused aggravating pollution were total coliforms, total phosphorus, petroleum and total hydrargyrum ; (2) the main pollution sources were living pollution, which increased evidently in recent years, and industry pollution, of which heavy metal pollution is evident; (3) among the mainstream of the Xiangjiang River , river sections in Zhuzhou, Xiangtan and Changsha suffered from the most serious pollution; (4) it is forecasted that living pollution and agriculture pollution will become more serious in the future. Therefore, there is still a long way to go in order to ensure the harmonious development between economy and environment. While doing more propaganda, enhancing citizens' environmental awareness, speeding the construction of urban sewage water treatment installation and developing ecological agriculture, the construction of urban ecological water sources should be placed on the agenda.

Key words: the Xiangjiang River, water quality change, pollution index, ecological water source