A series of simulated rainfall experiments were conducted to investigate the reducing effect of gravel cover on erosion of saline slope. The effects of gravel coverage on hydrodynamic characteristics of runoff and unit sediment load were analyzed under different slope gradients (15°and 30°) and rainfall intensities (92 and 119 mm/h). The cover rates of gravel were 0, 10%, 20%, 40%, 60% and 80%, respectively. The flow rate was measured by dyeing tracer method. Unit sediment load increased first and decreased then with the increasing of gravel coverage under different slopes and rain intensities. The changing tendency of Reynolds number and Froude number versus gravel coverage was determined by parabola curve. Manning roughness, Dracy-Weisbach resistance coefficient, the stream average shear force and the stream power had positive liner relationship with the gravel coverage. The stream power predicted sediment load rate well, and these two were logarithmic (R2=0.47).