In the dark, earthy underground canals leading to Walterville Reservoir, about 15 miles east of Eugene, small non-native rodents are burrowing in unwelcome turf.
They’re called nutria, and a local utilities company says the rodents have to go.
Following an inspection at the beginning of last year by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which noticed evidence of nutria in the Eugene Water & Electric Board’s two five-mile-long hydroelectric water canals, EWEB has been experimenting with multiple nutria eradication techniques.
EWEB hired contractor Johnson Wildlife Services to advise them on how to decrease the hearty population. According to Brian Wolfer, district wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, contractors such as Johnson Wildlife must take a test and reapply yearly for an official license to hunt rodents. The only exception is made for private landowners, who are allowed to trap and hunt rodents on their own property.
The first attempt of eradication began in August, when EWEB hired a professional archer to hunt the nutria. Following a couple months of this involved process, EWEB moved on to setting lethal traps submerged in the canal water. However, by November, EWEB threw out both plans so as not to disrupt the public’s activity in the area.
The canals drain directly into Walterville Reservoir, which is surrounded by a park frequented by dog-walkers.
“We switched from lethal to live traps as a precaution, to reduce pet death,” EWEB spokesperson Lance Robertson said. “In addition, we put up a lot of signs in the inundated area to warn walkers about the traps and advise them to keep their dogs on leash.”
Robertson said that since EWEB has begun its nutria elimination process, no non-nutria creatures have been affected. He estimated that about two to three dozen nutria have become causalities.
“We’re just trying to reduce the population, not to completely deplete,” Robertson said. “They’re a fairly prolific species in this area. It’s important to target the problem before it’s too late.”
EWEB has no specific deadline as to when it will cease its efforts, and Roberston predicts EWEB will continue to test out different options.
Sophomore Alexa Morrill said she supports EWEB’s eradication plan.
“I know that invasive species are the worst possible creature in an ecosystem,” Morrill said. “It’s especially important, because nutrias reproduce so quickly, that they take control of the situation now.”
Nutria, a South American native species, were originally introduced into Oregon in 1937 because their pelts were considered valuable. Now, they roam free in both urban and country settings throughout the Northwest, taking over native ecosystems and competing with the native rodent, the muskrat.
“These are always tough issues, particularly with nutria,” Wolfer said. “People always feel an attachment to small mammals. Unfortunately, the nutria are taking over the native wildlife and have an impact on the muskrat, which could be devastating to the area.”
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