North American River Otters: bellwethers of freshwater habitat change
North American River Otters are a crucial indicator of a freshwater ecosystem’s health.
North American River Otters are cute, fluffy river dwellers, but did you know they are also a crucial indicator of an aquatic ecosystem’s health?
River otters are indicator species so their presence is a sign of good water quality. Freshwater ecosystem health is of particular concern to us humans because of our reliance on clean water. Think about it — most cities are built on rivers, all people need clean water.
Otters exhibit robustness and resilience to climate disruption events like strong storms, drought, sedimentation, and temperature shifts. However, the otter’s food is more sensitive to the impacts of climate change and other ecosystem impacts like pollution. Otters are at the top of the food chain which means impacts to their food can accumulate to impact otter populations. Other climate related threats to river otters and their food include sea-level rise and salt water intrusion into freshwater habitat.
The good news? These furry animals are extremely adaptable and occupy “a broad ecological niche.” This means otters thrive in a wide variety of environments and enjoy a wide variety of food.
North American River Otters, while cute, fluffy little beings that swim on their backs and flitter on river banks, are incredibly important at indicating how detrimental cumulative environmental changes can be. We see these little guys as barometers of their habitats, and ecosystems at large, as our climate changes. As climate change continues to affect freshwater environments, this is a species worth paying close attention to.
6 responses to “North American River Otters: bellwethers of freshwater habitat change”
A river otter has been observed swimming and fishing in a retention pond behind our home in Conway, SC. It is a pleasure to watch to watch him or her play. I have only seen only one at a time, so I don’t know if there is a nearby mate. In our community concrete culverts connect other ponds together, so I guess this Iis what he uses to get around. It’s been nice to see something other than geese and ducks using this pond.
I was walking along Nancy Crrek at Marist High School between Ashford Dunwoody and Johnson Ferry on September 2, 2022, and a 3-foot long River otter was cleaning her face and fur on the large sand bar that has formed at a sharp 90 degree bend in the stream. I grew up in this area and played in the creeks mostly in the Sexton Woodsneighborhood of Chamblee from 1959-1981 and have lived near Nancy Creek since 1995. Never in that time have I ever noted a River otter. I have seen them in the Chattahoochee but not Nancy Creek. I knew this was a good sign that Nancy Creek is healthier than I had hoped!
I recently compiled a video of a North American River Otter family who lived in the Russian River near Guerneville (please see https://youtu.be/Z11hM_ln0m8). We observed this family of river otters from 2017 to 2021. However, the drought in Northern Calif. required that the Sonoma County Water Agency reduce the river flow near Hacienda to only 35 cfs. This caused the bloom of duckweed, Ludwigia, and blue-green algae in the summer of 2021. The river otter video documents some of the sightings of river otters and the results of low flow. As of July 2022 the otters have not returned.
I support the RRWPC’s (http://www.rrwpc.org/) call for increased water conservation and higher minimum flows in the lower Russian River.
I’ve been pleased to see and photograph them in the Chattahoochee River within a mile and a half of where the Braves play baseball in Truist Park. Thanks for publishing this article, it’s good to know about these fantastic creatures and how they are an indicator of water quality.
Ok I might be crazy…but I swear I saw a river otter on my rural dirt road in Auburn, CA. We live sort of close to the Bear River, but the closest water sources are just creeks and ponds. Is it possible this was an otter? or did my mind play a trick on me and it was just a cat, LOL.
Live on a healthy creek in Orting otter live and appear to be very active, but my dog seems to be a threat. They have learned to share gods blessings over the years. Need to keep in mind when they teach the very young. Tranquil in Orting.