| Exploration and extraction of natural gas has substantially increased in recent years and will expand in the future. Energy extraction can occur near watersheds that provide essential water supplies for agriculture and urban use within the catchments as well as down river. Disturbance to flow and reduction in water quality may have negative effects on water availability to humans, and could adversely affect species in the system. We used non-invasive genetic techniques and capture recapture modeling to estimate the population of river otters (Lontra canadensis), a sentinel species, in the Green River Basin, Wyoming. Densities in two of three river sections surveyed were similar to those reported in other freshwater systems. Otters appeared to avoid areas of energy development. This distribution of otters could have resulted from elevated levels of disturbance associated with industrial activities surrounding the gas fields, and potential surface water contamination as indicated by patterns in conductivity. |
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