California preparing to battle nutria to protect waterways, wetlands

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KGO) -- California might be about to go to war with nutria.

The huge rodents are an invasive species and can do significant damage to waterways and wetlands.

Nutria eat about 25-percent of their body weight every day and officials say if they aren't controlled, the population could explode to 250,000.

A California congressman is pushing forward with a bill to get funding to revive a program to eradicate them in the Delta.

He plans to bring a stuffed nutria to a hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill to get his point across.