The invention relates to the field of slope protection, aims at solving the problem that due to the riverway bank slope protection technology in the prior art, the original ecology is seriously damaged and even perpetually damaged, and provides a riverway bank slope protection structure and a riverway bank slope protection method. According to the riverway bank slope protection structure, the bankslope surface is provided with a slope bottom pit formed through downward concaving, and the position, located above the slope bottom pit, of the slope surface is provided with a slope surface pit formed through downward concaving; gabion protection feet are arranged in the slope bottom pit, and a slope protection section structure is arranged in the slope surface pit; and the outer surface of the bank slope surface obtained after the gabion protection feet and the slope protection section structure are arranged is covered with a planting layer capable of achieving plant attachment and growth. The riverway bank slope protection structure and the riverway bank slope protection method have the beneficial effects that on the premise that the high slope protection capability is achieved, theunrecoverable damage on the riverway original ecology is greatly reduced, the ecology environment friendliness is high, the slope protection capability is high, and construction is convenient and simple.