Abstract: Downstream local scour is one of the common hazard forms that affect the safe operation of the sluice structure and the sabo dam. The accurate understanding of the local scour in the downstream of the sluice structure and the sabo dam is the basis for the prevention and control of the local scour in the downstream. This paper, taking the local scour in the downstream of the sluice structure and the sabo dam as the research object, discusses and analyzes the local scour depth of the downstream scour pit and the hydraulic characteristics of the nappe of water and debris flow which are the main sources of the scouring power. It is concluded that: there are many calculating formulas and predicting models for the depth of local scour pit in the downstream of the sluice structure, and the hydraulic characteristics of the scour power source-nappe of water are studied comprehensively. The research on downstream local scour of the sabo dam mostly refers to the research results of hydraulic engineering, but debris flow is non-Newtonian Fluid, different from water flow, so it is unreasonable to simply apply the research results of downstream local scouring of the sluice structure to debris flow. In addition, the hydraulic characteristics of nappe of debris flow, which is the dynamic source of local scouring downstream of the sabo dam, are not fully studied. In view of the deficiency of local scour research in the downstream of the sabo dam, the future work is discussed: ①The study on the hydraulic characteristics of the debris flow nappe based on the composition of material and the distribution of flow velocity. ②The study on the hydraulic characteristics of the debris flow nappe in dynamic evolution process. ③The study on the calculation method of the scour pit parameters downstream of sabo dam based on debris flow dynamics.