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.

Otto Otter with a friend.

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

Otto Otter Canal Safety Coloring Book

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.

Guidance
6/2025 Otto Otter Usage and Guidelines PDF 160KB
Printable Materials
5/2021 Otto Otter Coloring for Canal Safety Coloring Book available in both English and Spanish PDF 3.30MB
6/2025 Where's Otto Otter Coloring Sheets PDF 10.5MB
6/2025 Otto Otter Stickers PDF 556KB
6/2025 Otto Otter Bookmarks PDF 481KB
Education Materials
6/2025 Otto Otter Teacher's Guide for Elementary Students PDF 171KB
6/2025 Canal Safety Presentation for Elementary PDF 171KB
6/2025 Otto Otter Teacher's Guide for Middle and High School Students PDF 201KB
6/2025 Canal Safety and Water Delivery Presentation: Essential Knowledge for Middle School Students and Beyond. PDF 201KB
6/2025 Canal Safety and Water Delivery Game PDF 286KB
6/2025 Canal Safety and Water Delivery Game Answer Sheet PDF 129KB
6/2025 The Otto Otter Video Library Link


Contact

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


Last Updated: 6/24/25