State wildlife officials are reintroducing otters into a stretch of the Provo River where the carnivores once flourished a century ago.
River otters were released last December between the Jordanelle and Deer Creek reservoirs, said Justin Dolling, game mammals coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
“There were about three different locations that we released them at in that section,” Dolling said. “River otters evolved here. They were native here. They evolved with cutthroat and they are part of the system They are a carnivore and they bring balance to the system.”
Crews in recent years have restored the riparian corridor along the Provo River, installing ripples and pools, Dolling said.
“They put in meanders and bends and turned it back into a river that functions more naturally,” Dolling said. “It was an ideal place due to the restoration work that occurred over the last decade.”
Many river otters from Alaska and Nevada were reintroduced into Utah in the 1990s.
“We have viable populations on the Green River, viable populations where the Colorado River comes into Utah and viable populations on the San Juan River,” Dolling said.
About 12 otters were released into the Provo River last winter after being trapped near the Green River.
“We had transmitters inserted into their abdomens and we’ve had signals down into Utah Lake and as high as Woodland on the upper stretch of the Provo,” Dolling explained about the animal’s vast range.
But four of the otters have died, he said.
One died as a result of an infection it caught during surgery, Dolling added.
“The second one we think starved to death. It was a younger otter and may have become separated from the adult,” Dolling said. “The third one was hit by a car and the fourth one was accidentally trapped when somebody was trying to catch a beaver.”
State trappers in November will attempt to catch river otters in Idaho for release near Summit County this winter.
“We’re looking to get another 10 to 15 otters into the system. Yearlings are fine, all the way up to mid-age adults,” Dolling said. “We probably would not want a real old otter. We want to get some reproduction going.”
He said river otters eat mostly fish and they really enjoy crayfish.
“Deer Creek I know has crayfish. There are probably not crayfish in the stream. In the stream, they are feeding on either trout or possibly carp,” Dolling said. “They also eat amphibians, small birds and small mammals.”
Otters are sensitive and their reintroduction into the Provo River could help save them from further threat.
“We consider them sensitive because of their distribution in low numbers,” Dolling said. “They’re essentially tied to river system, and river systems, 50, 60 years ago, were extremely degraded,” Dolling said. “The water was being diverted for agriculture purposes, the stream sides were grazed heavily, the riparian corridors were in bad shape and water quality was an issue.”
State wildlife officials have approval to also release otters into the Weber River in Summit County.
“It wouldn’t be a stretch for them to get into the Weber naturally,” Dolling said. “They could be over into the Weber right away.”