The standing crop of periphyton and actual surface area in a 100-m section of a small stream were estimated by applying material balance techniques to an experimental 32P release. About 75 per cent of the introduced 32P was retained initially by periphyton in the study section. Based on the quantity of 32P in periphyton samples, per mg and per cm2, the total standing crop of periphyton and the bottom area of the section were estimated as 1.5 kg and 560 m2, respectively. © 1969.