Abstract: Taking the river course in Dali Town, Foshan City as the research object, the sensation pollution index (SPI) and the classification method of apparent pollution types were utilized to evaluate the apparent pollution status and pollution sources of the river course water in the plain tidal river network area from two perspectives of pollution degree and pollution type, and Positive Matrix Factorization model was used to quantitatively analyze the pollution sources. The results showed that the landscape river in Dali Town, Foshan City had poor overall apparent quality. The apparent pollution type was mainly mixed-dominant and the level of pollution was found to be heavier in summer and late spring compared to early spring. The apparent conditions of different areas were in the order of Zhen Shuiwei Area>Baisha Area>Yan Lianwei Area>Huangi Yanlianwei Area>Xiebian Chong and Xiangjihe Area>Michong Area>Houhai Area. Overall, the apparent quality of the river channel was poor during low tide periods, and the varying tides greatly impacted the perceived apparent quality of the river in the southern region of the town. The types and contribution rates of pollution sources in river channels varied depending on the level and type of pollution. For organic-dominated (black and odorous) water, the primary source of pollution was point sources, accounting for 52.61% of the pollution. Meanwhile, for organic-dominated waters with blooms, agricultural non-point sources contributed the most pollution at 35.98%. In cases of nutrition-led pollution, the primary source was found to be plantation pollution, contributing to 51.43% of the total pollution. Finally, for inorganic-dominated pollution, surface runoff was the main source, accounting for 41.50% of the pollution. In conclusion, it was noteworthy that there existed significant temporal and spatial changes in the apparent pollution levels of the rivers in Dali Town. Furthermore, the pollution sources causing various types of apparent pollution differed, indicating a need to classify and treat them accordingly to enhance overall conditions.