Abstract: To explore the dynamic characteristics of water wave propagation and the hydraulic response mechanism between channel sections under the coordinated regulation of gates during the dispatching and operation of South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route Project, we selected the water transmission channel between the Tuanhe River aqueduct inlet check gate and Yanling River aqueduct inlet check gate as the representative reach.Through six sets of artificial hydrograph generation experiments, we conducted comparative analyses on hydraulic response time using three distinct methodologies: manual observation, hydraulic formula-based computation, and correlation analysis.The results demonstrate that under the operational conditions of 200 m³/s flow discharge and upstream flow adjustment variations of 5~10 m³/s, the hydraulic response times derived from all three methods exhibit remarkable consistency.However, each methodology demonstrates distinct applicability across different operational scenarios.Hydraulic formula-based computation proves more suitable for scenarios involving minor gate opening adjustments and limited upstream flow variations.All three methods maintain comparable applicability when addressing substantial gate adjustments and significant flow variations.Manual observation and correlation analysis demonstrate superior performance in structurally complex channel segments characterized by variable flow states.