Abstract: Research on the migration and transformation patterns of heavy metal pollution in watersheds is one of the key instruments for effectively preventing and controlling heavy metal pollution and protecting the quality of the ecological environment in watersheds. Complex mechanisms with multiple sources and pathways are the characteristics of heavy metal transport and transformation in the watersheds. Accurate modeling of heavy metal migration and transformation processes in the watershed is the foundation and primary approach for studying the migration and transformation of heavy metal pollution.It is crucial to consider atmospheric, land surface, and water space from the perspective of the integrity of the river basin, to clarify the mechanisms, processes, and fluxes in each system, and to achieve a systematic analysis of changes in heavy metal water quality from integrated point and non-point sources of pollution in order to model and analyze changes in heavy metal concentrations accurately. This paper gives a thorough overview of the sources, processes for the transport and transformation of heavy metals in the atmosphere, soils on the surface of the land, and river water bodies in the basin. It also systematically introduces the development of models for the transport and transformation of heavy metals in the basin. Future research will concentrate on improving the coupled model of heavy metal transport and transformation in the basin and fully coupling terrestrial surface processes with river hydrological sediment processes, heavy metal transport and transformation processes, and meteorological process influences. Additionally, it is expected to increase environmental risk management and precise environmental management in the region while providing new insights on how to predict, prevent, and regulate heavy metal contamination in the basin.