When the Kissimmee River was channelized in the 1960s and 1970s and pl
aced under stage-fluctuation management, the dynamic interactions betw
een the river and the floodplain were essentially removed. Correspondi
ngly, aquatic invertebrate life in the river and floodplain ecosystem
shifted from a riverine to a more lacustrine fauna. A relinkage of the
Kissimmee River with the floodplain following restoration will result
in numerous changes to such ecologically important factors as streamf
low, substrate composition, food quality and quantity, and water quali
ty, all of which will influence invertebrate communities. These factor
s and their function in the ecosystem as the fauna shifts from predomi
nantly lacustrine back to riverine are presented in a conceptual model
. As an integral component of all aquatic ecosystems and a key link be
tween primary producers and higher trophic levels, aquatic invertebrat
es are a valuable group with which to evaluate the recovery of the Kis
simmee River. Utilization of a geographic information system mapping a
pproach linking expected increased habitat heterogeneity and invertebr
ate richness with restoration efforts is suggested as an economical me
ans of monitoring recovery of the Kissimmee River ecosystem.