The invention relates to a river health assessment method suitable for a sediment-laden river, the method gathers data from, Target setting, survey of current situation, system Analysis, comprehensiveevaluation and so on, a systematic and comprehensive health assessment index system for sediment-laden rivers is established, with reference to relevant regulations of the Ministry of Water Resources, to study and establish river health assessment methods, Index scoring method and evaluation standards, the river and lake health evaluation index system is designed, through the hydrology and waterresources, physical structure, water quality, biological and social service function of five criteria layer of 12 compulsory indicators and 4 optional indicators for scoring calculation, to assess thehealth status of the river; The invention aims at the present situation that the research on the theory and method of river and lake health assessment in China is relatively backward and there is nomore complete assessment framework, constructs a river health assessment index system suitable for the characteristics of the rivers in the southern cities and a more systematic and comprehensive river health assessment index system, and carries out the health assessment work of the rivers in the southern cities.