Channelization has increased in piedmont areas with urbanization and other anthropogenic alterations. Changes in riparian structures and in sediment dynamics have affected riparian biodiversity including aquatic macroinvertebrate richness. In this context, riverbank restoration becomes a major issue in preserving stream ecosystem functioning and associated services. As a relevant integrator of environmental changes in river systems, macroinvertebrate communities are likely to readily respond to a combination of anthropogenic disturbances. We aimed at assessing the response of the taxonomic and functional characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrate communities along a gradient of managed riverbank naturalness.