The Duliujian River is an important ecological river channel in the southern of Tianjin City. However, the Duliujian river has been facing the problems such as water quantity reduction, complicated water source and deterioration of water quality in recent years. In order to restore its ecological function, it is therefore necessary to study its ecological water demand. This study defined the water demand (W) of the rivers as the sum of water cycle consumption water demand (Wa) and the biological habitat water demand (Wb). The ecological water demand of the Duliujian River was then calculated monthly. The research results showed that the ecological water demand gap of the Duliujian River is relatively large, and it needs to be supplemented by external water sources. The findings of this study may provide data support for the joint dispatch of multiple water resources in the Duliujian River.