Valley Democrats Declare War On Invasive Swamp Rats

Rep. Josh Harder of Turlock put on waders and traipsed through the water in search of swamp rats recently.

The goal: Publicizing a bill that he and three other California Democrats have introduced targeting nutria, an invasive species from South America creating havoc with irrigation canals and levees.

“It sounds ridiculous, but these swamp rats are actually a major problem for our water infrastructure,” Harder said in a news release. “My bill would revive a program that helped successfully get rid of the pests in Maryland and bring millions of dollars in federal help to the Central Valley.”