One solution is using cameras and GIS technology to count how many of the rodents are in an area. This solution was developed in-house and allows the department to determine whether an area has been invaded, according to department spokesman Peter Tira.
The problem is one of several projects the department is tackling. Others include:
- The migration of its Oracle-based data warehouse onto SQL 2016
- Tracking of salmon and mule deer using hardware like satellite collars
- Installing backup broadband systems
Neither department has cost estimates available for their projects.
Of the nutria plague, "This is a new situation, a new crisis that has arisen," Tira said in an interview with Techwire. The program, which divides the state into 40-acre grid sections, began in spring and allows the department to confirm the presence of nutria before using resources to trap them.
About 60 cameras have been placed around the Central Valley. Most of the funding comes from grants to the department.
"The biggest challenge we face is funding," Tira told SF Gate. "We need long term-commitment, and not just from Fish and Wildlife. This is going to take the whole state."
Nutria mostly live in wetlands, where they consume much of the vegetation, and have been found surrounding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. They pose a threat to the Delta's flood control and water distribution networks, especially levees and other infrastructure.
The department uses a customized information-gathering app that harnesses GIS to gather data, as well. A similar project is counting mountain lions, the first of its kind.
