As one of main directions of green mining, short-wall block backfill mining (SBBM) could provide active control of water-conducting fractures development and strata movement. Furthermore, it could solve the problem of gangue accumulation on surface. According to the physical similarity criterion and the characteristics of SBBM technology, the protection effect for surface water resources of SBBM was studied by physical similarity simulation tests. The results of tests had shown that SBBM decreased the water-conducting fractures development caused by strata movement after coal mining, and it has a significant effect in protecting surface water resources above the working face. Therefore, based on movement characteristics of overlying strata using SBBM, a mechanical analysis model was established under SBBM for a superimposed beams in elastic foundation with extended water-conducting fractures in overlying strata, furthermore, a method to calculate the height of water-conducting fractured zone (HWFZ) in SBBM was given, and the mechanical mechanism of water-conducting fractures development in overlying strata was revealed. The calculated HWFZ after SBM was only 2.0 m according to the mechanical model, whereas the measured HWFZ of the washing fluid loss and drilling TV imaging was 6.3 m in experimental SBBM working face. The field-measured data was closely consistent with the results of the tests (7.9 m) and the mechanical calculation (2.0 m), which verified the accuracy of physical similarity simulation tests and the mechanical model. The results of the study will enhance the recovery rate of coal resources, and they have a significant for protection of the ecological environment. Display omitted •SBBM was proposed to recover coal seam under surface water.•Surface water resources protection effect using SBBM was analyzed by physical tests.•Mechanical mechanism of water-conducting fractures development was explained.•A method was proposed to calculate HWFZ in SBBM.