Microhabitat In the upper stream is created by various environment variables such as the bottom substrate and the physicochemical factors, and may influence the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates. We investigated the bottom substrate and environmental variables influencing the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrate in 26 stream-type waterways established at upper reaches of Geum River. During study period, total 85 families, 160 species, 9305 individuals of benthic macroinvertebrates were recorded. The stream-type waterways, where the bottom substrates consist mainly of pebble (16~64 mm) and cobble (64~256 mm) or with rapid water velocity (more than 0.2 m/s) and high dissolved oxygen (more than 120%), were supported by high species diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate. Hierological cluster analysis and the nonparametric multidimensional scale (NMDS) divided 26 stream-type waterways into a total of three clusters. In Cluster 1, the invertebrate species, such as Branchiura sowerbyi, Cloeon dipterum, Ischnura asiatica, Paracercion calamorum, and Radix auricularia, closely related to aquatic macrophytes, and Chironomidae spp., Limnodrilus gotoi, and Tanypodinae sp. were abundant in waterways, with high coverage of silt and clay as well as high turbidity and total nitrogen. The benthic macroinvertebrate species (Cheumatopsyche brevilineata, Drunella ishiyamana, Dugesia japonica, Ephemera orientalis, Gumaga KUa, Macrostemum radiatum, Potamanthus formosus, Semisulcospira libertine, Stenelmis vulgaris, and Teloganopsis punctisetae) included in Cluster 2 were dominated in sites with high cover rates of pebble and gravel. Cluster 3 was predominantly covered by the Cobbles, was supported by Simulium sp. Such a clear distinction in the study sites means that each stream-type waterways is governed by a clear habitat environment. In the case of some sites with low species diversity, improvement measures are required to restore nature, such as improving the function of inflows and outflows, creating meandering channel, and inducing the settlement of littoral vegetation.