Daniel Kazules

Otters in the Waters

By Daniel Kazules

e rivers, marshes and bays of Humboldt county are lled to the brim with sh, waterfowl, amphibians and crustaceans. If you’re lucky, you also might be able to spot a river otter playing in the water or running through the brush.

e sighting of a river otter in Humboldt County is a wonderful experience, but they are seldomly seen due to their small population. ese beloved semi aquatic mammals have played and hunted in the rivers, marshes and bays of Humboldt for thousands of years, but for decades they faced extinction in America due to the pollution in its rivers.

rough the e ects of the Clean Water Act and e orts from organizations like Northcoast Environmental Center (NEC) to clean the rivers and lakes, otters have begun to repopulate Humboldt’s waterways.

According to the research and analysis of wildlife Professor at Cal Poly Humboldt and founder of the North Coast River Otters Initiative, Je Black, there are an estimated 44 river otters living in Humboldt Bay, from Hookton Slough to the Arcata Marsh. Although the amount is staggeringly small, these otters are not considered endangered, largely due to the widespread habitats of the North Coast river otter.

“It has more to do with how widespread they are on the landscape. ey exist all the way up to Alaska, and all the way across Canada and so the water pollution never a ected Alaska and never a ected Canada,” Black said. “It was only in the lower 48 states that we really destroyed our river’s waters. And so the river otters always existed up North.”

Otters’ widespread habitat and the lack of water pollution in Canada throughout the years made the North Coast river otter the only species out of the 13 otter species in the world that isn’t endangered. How the pollution of America’s rivers endangered the river otters

Otters rely on the health of their entire ecosystem. ey are used as a bioindicator, a species scientists look at to determine the health of a habitat as a whole. Since the clean water act, the health of the rivers has been improved enough to support the river otter.

River otters have been repopulating in Humboldt County, bringing the population to a stable level living in the county’s bays, marshes and rivers today. Although the increase of otters is encouraging, experts like Black still worry for their stability in the future.

“ ey are actually living on a tightrope. ey’re not okay,” Black

said. “Every individual’s trying to nd enough to eat, and if we disturb them here in Humboldt Bay they’re going to die …the ones around here are living on the edge. ere’s not much for them to eat.”

River otters are the apex predator of these rivers, meaning there’s nothing that preys upon them. ey need to eat the sh and crustaceans in the river, who rely on the microorganisms in the water, who in turn rely on the purity of the river’s water.

If a river becomes polluted, the microorganisms die, which starves the sh and starves the otters. When creatures lower on the food chain start dying like sh or microorganisms, the whole food chain su ers. As this happens, the apex predator who relies on the entire food chain becomes endangered or can even go extinct because their food source is dwindling. River otters’ presence as the apex predator keeps their habitat in balance. Without the top predator, the prey begin to overpopulate. Fish would increase in abundance, as well as frogs, crustaceans, waterfowl and small mammals.

“If they go extinct, it’s an indication of unclean water; unsuitable habitats,” said Em Harvey, former intern at North Coast Otters. “It would lead to a lot of di erent diseases spread amongst waterfowl species and probably would even a ect other species of birds and animals in the area as well.”

How the waterways are being monitored

With otters in such a fragile situation in Humboldt’s ecosystems, the health of Humboldt’s waterways need to be monitored and maintained. Organizations like the Northcoast Environmental Center (NEC) strive to improve the health of the environment and keep companies environmentally accountable, which includes the cleanliness of the waterways.

Caroline Gri th, Executive Director at Northcoast Environmental Center (NEC), says Humboldt’s water purity is actually bene cial to local industries.

“We currently have very, very clean water here,” Gri th said. “ at’s one of the reasons why we have an oyster nursery. is is one of the few places on the west coast where they actually have seed oysters, and so they need incredibly clean water for that.”

Because of industries like the oyster industry in Humboldt County, environmental organizations don’t have to ght against corporations as much, and are instead able to work with or alongside them.

“If we are courting industries here that rely on clean water in the bay, then I think that will bene t the bay. If it’s in their best interest, they make it happen,” Gri th said, emphasizing the importance of encouraging environmentally friendly industries in Humboldt.

Unfortunately, keeping the waters clean may not be enough. With global temperatures on the rise, sea levels are also at risk of rising. Since Humboldt is at such a low sea level already, lots has to be done to ensure as little damage as possible occurs in the coming years. e main risk to the otters comes from landlocked sources of pollution being swept away in the rising tides.

“ ere is a risk that with sea level rise, if those [landlocked pollution] spots aren’t cleaned up, they could be inundated with water, and then that pollution that is currently landlocked could then contaminate the water,” Gri th said.

The work being done and how to help

e otters of Humboldt are thriving, but their future, if le unaltered, looks bleak. Individuals like Black and Harvey are working to monitor the otters and their situation. Organizations like NEC are striving to keep the environment a suitable place to live in, but there’s still lots of work to be done.

“If they go extinct, it’s an indication of unclean water.”

North Coast Otters relies on reports from citizen scientists to keep track of otters. Citizens can report the amount of otters, along with location, activity, newborn pups and more to otters@humboldt.edu. NEC is also looking for more trash trackers, who pick up trash and keep records of where trash is being dumped. Gri th says the best way to help is stay informed, “pay attention to local government and what they’re doing. It is one of the best ways to know how the wheels are turning, you know, in the community and what’s happening. at’s how you can make a di erence when it comes to alternative transportation and reducing emissions. at’s all through local governments.”

Humboldt’s otters are growing their population, but they are on the precipice of danger. If they’re going to keep enriching Humboldt’s citizens, we need to keep the waters clean and make sure they stay that way.