Variation in functional trait frequencies across environments should provide insight regarding the mechanisms that structure aquatic communities. However, most observed functional trait-environment relationships (FTERs) are weak. FTERs might be weak for two main reasons: assemblages are not strongly structured in general, or inaccurate or imprecise characterization of traits obscures real relationships. The latter issue seems especially likely for the Chironomidae, a hyper diverse family for which currently used traits are coarsely resolved. We tested whether refining trait states for 99 lotic chironomid genera strengthened FTERs, and determined if FTERs were stronger than taxon-environment relationships (TERs). We used available literature to refine and expand trait states associated with life history, mobility, morphology, and ecology. We then determined the environmental ranges that traits and taxa spanned and examined how single traits, trait groups, and taxa varied along environmental gradients. The trait scoring schemes we used did not adequately capture the diversity of adaptive syndromes present among lotic chironomids. Both individual traits and trait groups were less strongly associated with environmental gradients than were taxonomic groups. The observed TERs imply environmental conditions do structure chironomid assemblages, but we apparently have yet to identify those traits most important to chironomid establishment and persistence.