Abstract: Arranging water seal on the upstream or downstream side of the gate is usually decided by designers′ experience but without data support. In this paper, the finite element model of plane steel gate of a water conservancy project was established. Considering different water seal positions, the stress distribution of the gate members and deflection of main beam were compared by ANSYS software. The results showed that the stress of the gate member can meet the strength requirement, and the stress concentration existed in a small range. When water seal was arranged on the downstream side of the gate, the stress distribution of the gate face plate was more uniform, the deformation resistance of the main beam was strong, and the maximum converted stress value of the side beam was small. There was no significant difference in the static characteristics of the other members in the two water seal positions.