Systems and methods for creating habitats for benthic macro-invertebrate organisms and fish are provided. The system contains a platform and woody material attached thereto. The platform also contains openings for trapping useful organic materials, such as leaf pack and wood, and tassels that provide additional habitats or attached the woody material. The system may be installed in a river, stream, creek, or other fresh water source. The platform may be substantially flat, or may be bent to form a hollow-tube-shaped structure, with openings at both ends of the structure. The systems provide habitat, places to hold on during high flows, places to trap useable organics such as leaf pack and wood and nesting areas to support macrobenthic organisms. The system can be placed into a stream channel to restore the stream or maintain healthy conditions in a stream.
