Effects of natural hydrology on wood-dwelling invertebrates were examined in the Sipsey River, a southeastern Coastal Plain river.  Habitat distribution, invertebrate evacuation, variations in drift and colonization, and depth-specific secondary production were measured.  Wood surface area was 0.463 m² per m² of channel with 66% of wood submerged at low flow.  Observation of invertebrate evacuation indicated that evacuation occurred when desiccation was imminent.  Evacuation peaked after 2-4 h with most animals leaving snags within 24 h, but some remaining 7 d.  Mortality was high (85-92%), but evacuating animals accounted for most (75-99%) of the original biomass.  Colonization and drift fluxes were higher during falling water than rising water.  Seven-day colonization efficiencies were low (density 14.75%, biomass 3.86%), but varied seasonally and between taxa.  Habitat expansion and contraction resulted in distinct vertical distribution of total invertebrate abundance (mean = 41,268 individuals m^-2), biomass (mean = 1375 mg m^-2), production (mean = 72,642 mg m^-2 y^-1), and P/B (mean = 52.8 y^-1).  Wood-dwelling invertebrates demonstrated low resistance, but high resilience, to desiccation events.  Resilience appeared to be related to habitat quantity and turnover rates.  Total secondary production was lower with frequent desiccation and recolonization by smaller organisms despite their higher growth rates.