Columbia-Pacific Northwest Region

Otto Otter Canal Safety Program

The Bureau of Reclamation’s Otto Otter Canal Safety Program educates the community about the dangers of canals and highlights the importance of staying out and staying away. Otto Otter has been the Reclamation mascot since 1975 and was developed by a fourth grader in a water safety mascot contest. Canal safety presentations continue to be given at schools and community events.

According to the Idaho CareLine, both children and adults drown yearly in Idaho canals, and they report that more children drown in canals than any other body of water in Idaho annually. Canal water is very cold and fast moving. The Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District estimates the water flow at the Ridenbaugh Canal, located in Boise at about 3 miles per hour at 4.5 feet per second. For their public safety announcement in 2012, a child’s shoe was dropped into the canal to provide a visual of how fast the water travels. In two minutes, the shoe traveled 540 feet and within 5 minutes, it was about a quarter mile away from where the shoe was dropped.

Otto Otter Resources

To aid in canal safety education, Reclamation has developed education materials to help parents and educators teach children about the topic. Contact us to inquire how you can utilize the Otto Otter mascot and other materials to teach about canal safety.

Contact

Anna McLean
208-378-5370
amclean@usbr.gov