Bioassessment of habitats is becoming commonplace for many state and federal agencies.  Recent research has shown no significant difference in aquatic assessment results based on expensive, labor-intensive, quantitative sampling versus more cost-efficient, less defined, qualitative methods.  This research attempts to verify these findings using a macroinvertebrate functional feeding group (FFG) approach.  Macroinvertebrates and water quality data representing thirteen sites along the 106-mile Little Miami River in southwestern Ohio were evaluated by collecting six quantitative (Hess sampler) and six qualitative macroinvertebrate samples from riffle/run habitats in June/July 2006 and 2007.  Samples were differentiated through a 500-micron sieve before preservation and processing.  Four ecosystem attributes were calculated based on functional feeding group quantities: autotrophy/heterotrophy, fine particulate organic matter/coarse particulate organic matter, suspended fine particulate organic matter/benthic fine particulate organic matter, and substrate stability.  Functional feeding group ratios confirmed the quality of the selected reference site, substrate stability and organic matter load in suspension being highest at this location for both years.  All four FFG ratios verified similar trends between collection methods within each year.  Ratios also showed similar trends between years, with the exception of the autotrophy/heterotrophy ratio.  Water chemistry distinguished sites through associations with watershed land use/cover determined using GIS.