Abstract: In September 2019, ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin became the major national strategy, thus promoting the further construction of the ecological development of the Yellow River Basin. In order to explore the development strategies of small towns under the ecological constraints of the Yellow River and to improve the quality of urban development and construction, this study took Weizhuang subdistrict in Changyuan City, Henan Province as an example to illustrate the relationship between ecological protection of the Yellow River downstream and urban development. Based on the comparison of different historical data, this paper analyzes the overall flood control form, ecological pattern, vegetation evolution and hydrological situation of the downstream Yellow River. This study summarizes and analyzes the current development constraints of small towns in the Yellow River Basin on ecological security, vegetation cover, hydrological conditions and a series of other issues. In the end, according to the ecological problems encountered by small towns, the study proposes different solutions in terms of rainwater protection, ecological space and development mode, in order to provide reference for the high-quality development of small towns in the lower reaches of the Yellow River.