This paper concerns the water balance in a forest for soil and water conservation in northwest Shanxi province and provides a table of water balances for different stands.The paper also presents a dry coefficient,which is used to evaluate soil moisture.It is shown that there is very little surface runofi,and the main water loss is by evapotranspiration.In order to improve forest soil and water conservation,we should reduce the stand density to decrease evapotranspiration.