Abstract: To exploit the coal resources of shallow coal seam threatened by overlying aquifer and rivers, taking Yunyu well field in Pingdingxiyang Mining Area of Qinshui Coalfield as the experimental area, the different water-controlled coal mining methods were compared and analyzed through studying overburden rock failure laws, calculating waterproof safety coal pillar, sand-proof safety coal pillar and safety mining thickness, and the water-controlled coal mining technology for water body under shallow coal seam is developed. The results show that: the fractured zone-mining thickness ratio is 18, the caving zone-mining thickness ratio is 11 after coal mining in Yunyu well field 15^# coal seam; the limited thickness extraction is an effective method for water-controlled mining.