Except for a single summer survey in 1970 (Radcliffe 1977) no significant investigations of the invertebrate fauna of the R. Wye have been undertaken. The objectives of the present study are to determine a sampling strategy which will provide a description of the distribution and relative abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates in the R. Wye and those tributaries associated with proposals to regulate flow in the river system. In addition to fulfilling basic biological objectives, such as the description of community diversity and the incidence of taxa of particular significance, because of their rarity or usefulness as ‘indicator’ species, such a strategy must take account of operational preferences. Such preferences will be governed by river flow, the availability of support staff and the temporal stability of macroinvertebrate communities. This report considers the efficiency and efficacy of the timing of general surveys in 1975 and 1976 and the usefulness of certain survey sites
