The study of both butterfly and benthic invertebrates along a largely urbanized section of the San Diego River in California, USA provided information for monitoring enhancement efforts. It appeared that richness measures in the groups were positively correlated.  Historic gravel mining operations negatively impacted both biosurvey components, while sites that allowed for shallow, wide banks and lateral connectivity between the river and the floodplain increased richness metrics.  In this study, activities that reconnect the river and the floodplain would benefit both terrestrial and aquatic indicator groups.