Spatio-temporal characteristics and source identification of water pollutants are important for the management and protec-tion of water resources.In this study,water-quality index (WQI) modeling,hierarchical cluster analysis,discriminant analysis,factor analysis and principle analysis of multiply linear regression (APCS-MLR) were used to analyze the water quality data sets from river network during 2015,including 10 parameters monitored at 54 different sites in Lake Ebinur Watershed of Xinjiang.U-sing GIS to study the spatio-temporal characteristics and source identification of surface water pollutants were the major goals of this study.The results showed that:The value of WQI varies between 38 and 70 during wet season when the water levels were high,while the value was between 31 and 71 during dry season.The Lake Ebinur water quality deterioration was more significant during wet season,and the water pollution status at Lake Ebinur,Bortala River and Jinghe River near Lake Ebinur were more serious than other tributaries.By cluster analysis and discriminant analysis,the basin could be divided into two groups.The group A included the eastern area of Lake Ebinur,Kuitun River,Guertu River and Sikeshu River.The group B included the western area of Lake Ebinur,Jinghe River and Bortala River.Water quality at the B group of Lake Ebinur Watershed was mainly influenced by chemical oxygen demand,dissolved oxygen,ammonia nitrogen and suspended solids concentrations during the dry season,more serious than the group A because there are some high polluting enterprises at the group B region,while the water environment governance mainly cancentrated in the B region.In Lake Ebinur,Jinghe River and Bortala River,water pollutants mainly came from organic and nutri-ent pollution,followed by mining and industrial pollution.In Kuitun River,Guertu Rive and Sikeshu River,surface water pollu-tants mainly came from organic and biological pollution,followed by nutrient pollution,while biological pollution effects were rela-tively weak.Results of the water quality study would provide valuable and useful information for the future management of water re-sources in Lake Ebinur.