From 2009 to 2011, four field surveys were carried out in East Tiaoxi River watershed. The forms of nitrogen and phosphorus and their spatial variability were analyzed. East Tiaoxi River could be divided into three sections, namely upper reach, middle-up reach and middle-lower reach, and characterized by hilly river, river influenced by urban and plain river, respectively. The results showed that dissolved nitrogen was the main nitrogen species in water, and nitrate(NO₃^--N) was the major form of dissolved total nitrogen(DTN) species. Meanwhile, phosphorus in particulate form was slightly more abundant than that in dissolved form(dissolved total phosphorus(DTP)) in the samples. And the relative partition of DTP to TP decreased along the river flow. The dissolved organic nitrogen(DON) and phosphorus(DOP) accounted for 22% and 42% of DTN and DTP, respectively, with a significant positive correlations as well. The higher ammonia nitrogen(NH₄⁺-N), DOP and orthophosphate(PO₄^3--P) in middle-up reach, accompanied by the positively correlated conductivity with NH₄⁺-N and DOP, indicated that the discharge of urban sewage probably affected the contents and species of nitrogen and phosphorus. The positive correlations between turbidity and all forms of phosphorus revealed that the inputs of mineral particles or sediment resuspensions, which were induced from mining, navigation and digging in lower reach, may be important sources of phosphorus. Finally, the slight reduction of DTP in middle-lower reach was also observed, which was probably induced by adsorption of dissolved phosphorus into the surface of mineral particles.