A set of goving equations for turbulent flows in vegetated area were derived with the assumption that vegetation is of straight and rigid cylinder. The effect of vegetation on flow motion was represented by additional inertial and drag forces. The new model was validated by available experimental data for open channel flows passing through vegetated areas with different vegetation size, density and distribution. Numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data. Finally, the flow around a supposed isolated vegetated pile was simulated and the effects of vegetation density on the wake flow were discussed. It is found that the presence of vegetation, even at a very low density, has the pronounced influence on the dissipation of flow energy, both inside the vegetation domain and outside it in the wake flow region.