The relationship between relative water contents of lettuce leaves and biochemical activities in lettuce was examined in this study to explore an adaptation response of lettuce to water stress from soils. Soil water contents and relative water contents of leaves were positively related to show $R^2$=0.8728. Hydrogen peroxide contents of leaves rapidly increased with reduction of soil water content, whereas soluble protein contents and dry matters rapidly decreased. And chlorophyll a and b contents of leaves decreased with increase in carotenoid content. Furthermore, the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) increased dramatically, and mRNA transcript levels of APX, MDHAR and DHAR also increased. Relationship of relative water content of lettuce leaves to hydrogen peroxide, to ascorbate peroxidase activity, to dehydroascorbate reductase activity, and to monodehydroascorbate reductase activity was shown to be positively correlated. It is highly plausible from this study that these enzyme activities could be developed as an indicator of water states in soils.