Cover or green manure crops have become a vital component of sustainable agricultural systems due to their role in refining soil condition, fertility and crop growth. This role has become vital to intensive plant production due to loss of organic matter and soil degradation by erosion. The aim of this experiment was to determine the performance and effects of three short-term summer legume cover crops on soil loss and the soil quality. Field experiments was conducted to study the effects of legume cover crops on soil quality in dry land farming areas in the Benishangul Gumez region, Dibate District in 2018/2019 for seven months. In the experiment, three legume cover crops (LCC) were used that includes Desmodium, Sesbania Sesban, Sweet lupine and one control (without LCC) were used to characterize the relationship of runoff and soil loss, daily runoff values were plotted against daily soil loss. the biomass incorporated into the soil improved the soil quality: because of they have low lignin (12.03%, 14.31% and 12.52%) in plant tissue, and low polyphenol (3.84%, 3.46% and 3.21%) concentration, and C/N ratio respectively. Results of biomass quality analysis (experiment) showed that all cover crops were the best species due to its best quality such as higher moisture content, total N, total P, K, total C, Ca, and lower C/N ratio and better C/P ratio. Sesbania gave the highest biomass production (FW and DW of 24.5 and 8.5-ton ha-1) compared to other species. All cover crops reduce soil loss and runoff concentration respectively at the end of cover crop growth stages. The most serious annual runoff volume was generated from the bare plot 13.65 mm ha-1yr-1, with generated volume approximately increased from cover crop plots by 45.39 %, 39.88% and 29.89% that of Desmodium, Sesbania & Sweet lupine plots respectively. At the end of the experimental season (32 runoff generating rain fall events), soil loss and runoff volume were reduced by cover crops. In all the cover crop growing periods, soil loss from Desmodium plot also reduced early as compared with that from Sesbania and Sweet Lupine plots. Based on soil loss and runoff reduction, Desmodium was the best species among the others (Sesbania Sesban & Sweet lupine) due to its broad leaf characteristics. Soil loss and runoff reduction were reduced as the crop corresponding increment plant LAI and plant growth periods.