Colorado Seeks Public Help to Track River Otters

Community science project aims to understand otter reintroduction efforts over the past 50 years.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 4:56pm

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A bold, abstract painting in muted greens, blues, and browns, depicting the interconnected natural elements of a river ecosystem through sweeping geometric shapes and organic botanical forms, representing the complex web of species that rely on a healthy river habitat.A community science project aims to map the recovery of river otters in Colorado, 50 years after their reintroduction to the state's waterways.Denver Today

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is launching a new community science project called the iNaturalist Otter Y.E.A.R. project to help document the presence of river otters across the state. The project is part of CPW's 2026 Otter Y.E.A.R. (Yearlong Engagement and Assessment of River Otters) and will involve both public participation and surveys conducted by CPW staff and partners. The data collected will inform future conservation work, including potential reintroduction efforts into suitable habitats.

Why it matters

River otters were once native to Colorado's major rivers but were wiped out by the early 1900s due to a lack of wildlife regulations and water pollution. The state reintroduced 120 otters between 1976 and 1991, and this community science project will help understand the success and limitations of those past efforts as Colorado looks to potentially expand otter populations in the future.

The details

The iNaturalist Otter Y.E.A.R. project will allow Colorado residents and visitors to submit photos and locations of river otters or signs of their presence, such as tracks or scat. In addition to public participation, CPW staff and partner organizations will conduct surveys throughout 2026 on the Yampa, Green, Colorado, and Gunnison rivers. The data collected will help inform future conservation work, including potential reintroduction efforts into suitable habitats that remain unoccupied.

  • The iNaturalist Otter Y.E.A.R. project will run throughout 2026.
  • River otters were reintroduced in Colorado between 1976 and 1991.

The players

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW)

The state agency responsible for managing Colorado's wildlife and natural resources, including leading the effort to reintroduce river otters in the 1970s and 1980s.

Bob Inman

The River Otter Program Manager at CPW, who oversees the agency's efforts to study and conserve the state's otter population.

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What they’re saying

“Coloradans who enjoy river otters today have that opportunity because of the vision and dedicated work 50 years ago by Division of Wildlife employees and several graduate students, along with the Pittman-Robertson dollars used to fund the effort.”

— Bob Inman, River Otter Program Manager, Colorado Parks and Wildlife

What’s next

The data collected through the iNaturalist Otter Y.E.A.R. project in 2026 will help inform CPW's future conservation efforts, including potential reintroduction of otters into additional suitable habitats across the state.

The takeaway

This community science project marks an important milestone in Colorado's efforts to restore river otters, a species that was once wiped out in the state. By engaging the public and conducting comprehensive surveys, CPW hopes to better understand the success and limitations of past reintroduction efforts in order to guide future conservation work and potentially expand otter populations in suitable habitats.