【Objective】 Hetao Irrigation District relies on Yellow River water for irrigation, but excessive use of the river water had resulted in soil salinity. Jointly using groundwater and river water has been postulated as a feasible mitigation technology, and the purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study on how to achieve optimal use of groundwater and surface water. 【Method】 A three-dimensional groundwater model for the region was calibrated and verified using MODFLOW based on measured groundwater depths and other datasets. We then applied the model to four typical well-canal combination areas in four sub-districts: Wulanbuhe, Jiefangzha, Yongji and Yichang. 44 scenarios with four different well-irrigation areas and 11 kinds of canal-well combination ratios were considered. For each scenario, we predicted how the groundwater depth changed with the well-canal combination ratio and well-irrigation area. 【Result】 ①The three-dimensional groundwater model correctly captured physical properties of the aquifers and soils and reproduced the observed change in groundwater depth at different scenarios. ②When the ratio of well-irrigated to canal- irrigated areas was the same, the average groundwater depth in Jiefangzha and Wulanbuhe was the shallowest followed by Yongji, with that in Yichang the deepest. Isograms of groundwater depth in areas with well-canal irrigation in Wulanbuhe was the densest, followed by Yichang, with Yongji and Jiefangzha the sparsest. ③When the well-irrigated area was constant, the average groundwater depth decreased asymptotically as the canal-well combination ratio increased. 【Conclusion】 The suitable canal-well combination ratio and well-irrigation area for controlling groundwater depth not exceeding 3 m varied with the sub-districts due to their difference in hydrogeological conditions. The well-irrigation areas in Wulanbuhe, Jiefangzha, Yongji and Yichang should not exceed 12.25 km2, 12.25 km2, 9 km2 and 6.25 km2 respectively, with their associated ratio of canal-irrigated area to well- irrigation area not exceeding 2.5, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.3 respectively.