The performance of the Coupled Land surface and Hydrologic Model System (CLHMS) in simulating the hydrological processes over the Huaihe River basin is evaluated using a 24-year numerical simulation of its hydrological cycle between 1980 and 2003. The CLHMS model system is driven by CFSR (Climate Forecast System Reanalysis) reanalysis data and observed precipitation and surface air temperature datasets over China. Generally, the CLHMS shows good performance in reproducing observed hydrological processes, and the model's skill is pretty higher for wet years in simulating the water balance, and in reproducing the seasonal and interannual variation of the observed streamflow over the Huaihe River basin. For dry years with less precipitation, the model discrepancies in overestimating the observed streamflow can be found in both Wangjiaba and Benbu hydrological stations. Significant differences in the model's performance are also found between the 1980s and the 1990s, and is largely ascribed to the differences in the model's skill for wet and dry years.