A lot of reservoirs are distributed in hilly region in south-east China.These reservoirs are vitally important in providing water resources and should be priorly protected.However,much problem exists in protecting reservoir water quality in the hilly region, including increased development intensity of land resource,unreasonable development approaches and spatial arrangements, serious nitrogen and phosphorus pollution and eutrophication,and lack of advanced monitoring and management systems,etc.Taking Tianmuhu reservoirs as an example,this paper introduced the measures taken to protect Shahe Reservoir (one of Tianmuhu reservoirs) since 2000 and their effect in reservoir treatment,watershed pollutant reduction and integrated watershed management.Based on these analyses,suggestions are made to protect the reservoirs or lakes with good water quality.These suggestions include establishing reservoir management organizations with good departmental coordination,carrying out water quality target management based on lake and reservoir water ecological objectives,controlling non-point source pollution from tea orchards in the hilly area,focusing on restoration of watershed ecological systems,prohibiting land exploitation in upstream hilly area and area close to the lake,determining the red line of ecological protection,defining clearly the prohibit and restrict development types and dimensions, strengthening the monitoring and pre-warning systems of lake,reservoir and watershed,carrying out necessary reservoir treatment, and developing management regulations of lake and reservoir accordingly.After more than ten-year protection practices of Tianmuhu Reservoir,the conflict between watershed development of land resource and reservoir water quality protection was moderated.The lake water quality is changing from rapid deterioration to steady improvement,which provides an effective way for reservoir water environment protection in hilly region of south-east China.