Abstract: Objective A watershed is a river basin with a water system as its backbone, which is a geographical unit with natural and cultural attributes. The "human water relationship" often constitutes the most important set of "human land relationships" in a watershed. In the process of adaptation between humans and water, watersheds have become containers and links that nurture human civilization and witness the evolution of urban and rural areas, forming a typical human water complex system. The Dianchi Lake Basin is a typical sample of the settlement system shaped by the "human water relationship". The hydrological environment is not only the background of the human settlement environment, but also deeply involved in the shaping process of the settlement system. This article conducts research on the settlement pattern and spatial evolution characteristics shaped by the "human water relationship" in the Dianchi Lake Basin, explains the spatial texture of the settlement system, and expands the possibility of interdisciplinary research methods in human settlement environment science.