Stream health and water quality are major regulatory concerns in the Pacific Northwest. An integral component of rehabilitating disturbed waterways is the effective establishment of preferred vegetation in riparian buffers. We monitored three survey sites with varying degrees of ecological disturbance over a three year period in South Central Washington State. At each of the three survey sites, carabid beetle abundance was monitored in the riparian buffer corridor as well as in the adjacent orchard or vineyard. Our data shows that carabid beetle abundance is greater in highly disturbed plant communities comprised of exotic flowering plants. Plant communities comprised mostly of native vegetation with relatively low ecological disturbance contained fewer beneficial carabid beetles. Large stands of exotic flowering plants at ecologically disturbed sites hosted an abundance of pest insects. We conclude that carabid beetle abundance was greatest in these disturbed sites due to greater prey availability. Carabid beetle abundance was low in each of the adjacent orchards and vineyards studied. Cultural practices and pesticide inputs reduced the abundance beneficial carabid beetles in orchards and vineyards regardless of the ecological state of the adjacent riparian plant community.