Low-tech process-based restoration (LTPBR) techniques like beaver dam analogs (BDAs) are increasingly popular as a means for restoring degraded streams. One expected outcome of these methods is increased habitat heterogeneity, and a commensurate biotic response (e.g., increased macroinvertebrate richness). To test whether habitat and biotic communities respond to LTPBR as expected, we sampled macroinvertebrates and habitat variables at four stream restoration and paired unrestored control sites in northeastern Oregon, USA. These sites were restored with BDAs that were designed to benefit native salmonids by increasing habitat and water availability. We used targeted riffle (TR) and multi-habitat transect (MHT) sampling to collect macroinvertebrates and sampled early and late summer 2023 and 2024. We investigated whether restored reaches (1) had greater habitat heterogeneity than control reaches, (2) had greater macroinvertebrate richness/diversity than control reaches, and (3) whether there was a detectable relationship between habitat heterogeneity and macroinvertebrate richness/diversity. We predicted that habitat heterogeneity and macroinvertebrate richness/diversity would be greater in restored than control reaches. Additionally, we expected MHT samples to have higher habitat heterogeneity and macroinvertebrate richness/diversity than TR samples. Finally, we expected to find a relationship between macroinvertebrate richness/diversity and habitat heterogeneity. Contrary to our predictions, we found variability in velocity, cover, and substrate diversity were significantly lower in restored versus control reaches for MHT and we detected no differences in habitat responses for TR. Consistent with our predictions, macroinvertebrate richness and diversity were both higher in restored reaches than control reaches. However, this was only observed in TR samples, and not in MHT samples. We found that variation in velocity was significantly and positively related to macroinvertebrate richness and diversity. Thus, the lack of invertebrate response to restoration in MHT habitats may be because restoration decreased variation in velocity, rather than increasing it as predicted. These results indicate that restoration may not necessarily lead to the predicted changes in habitat variables that are expected to increase macroinvertebrate richness/diversity. They also suggest that macroinvertebrate communities in riffles may be responding to habitat variables that we did not measure. This study illustrates the complex nature of monitoring ecological stream restoration projects.