Streams and their associated environments represent a unique focus of many research interests due to the fluvial processes that shape and influence their morphology as well as the ecological interactions of the riparian environment. The need to understand stream environments has generated numerous classification systems at various scales. In an attempt to examine stream morphology in a hierarchical context, I linked three scales of geomorphological information and examined their interaction. With assistance from the USFS -Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, I classified 33 streams in the Lake Tahoe Basin according to the Rosgen (1994)classification and subsequently also categorized the classified reaches according to the Montgomery/Buffington (1993) system. There is general agreement between the two systems, but categories in the Montgomery/Buffington system are often unclear, while the quantitative description in the Rosgen system provides a clear mental image and tool for classification. I propose the channel incisement depth ratio, defined defined as the ratio of the height of the first terrace above the channel bed to the maximum bankful depth, and the channel incisement width ratio as the ratio of the width of the floodplain contained within the first terrace to the bankful channel width, as alternative and additional channel morphological parameters to more fully describe the channel environment. We found significant differences in channel width/depth and entrenchment ratio between reaches in terrain with differing geomorphic heritage (fluvial versus glacial fill). The influence of geology on stream morphology is muted due to the formation of alluvial valleys by the stream, although an interaction between geology and geomorphic heritage exists in steeper reaches. In-stream habitat units also had significant differences in their occurrence and physical structure in the the varying geologic and geomorphic terrains. The influence of geology and geomorphology through to the stream reach level and the habitat level indicates that a hierarchical structure is inherent in the fluvial system and understanding these interactions allows us to more effectively manage stream ecosystems by addressing restoration concerns by encompassing the entire watershed.