For more information, please follow this link: Watershed Implementation Lead (Environmental Specialist 4) | Job Details tab | Career Pages (governmentjobs.com)

Salary- $54,108.00 – $70,956.00 Annually
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What makes this role unique?

This is a very hands-on position in the water quality program that works directly with partners, such as local conservation districts and tribes, to implement actions that clean up streams and rivers. A Watershed Implementation Lead is a non-point pollution focused position. The job often involves working with suburban and rural landowners to proactively make the management changes needed to protect water quality. One of the key objectives is to move land use back from the streambanks and restore riparian areas. The position develops the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) or Straight to Implementation (STI) clean-up plans. These plans are designed to meet water quality standards in a watershed. Not only does a Watershed Implementation Lead plan what needs to be done to protect water quality, they also get to implement the clean-up strategies.

What you’ll do:

As the Watershed Implementation Lead, you will develop and implement clean-up plans such as Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and Straight to Implementation (STI) strategies to improve water quality in the Colville, Kettle, Sanpoil, and Upper Columbia tributary watersheds.

You will:

  • Evaluate land use impacts in order to identify water quality issues, and then implement clean water projects that address those issues.
  • Coordinate with partners to restore stream and river riparian areas and protect aquatic habitat.
  • Develop TMDL strategies and messages, prioritize issues, and develop actions for addressing water quality impairments.
  • Work closely with other Regional Water Quality staff to integrate water quality efforts into TMDLs, and develop and implement specific-basin TMDL approaches.
  • Develop relationships with environmental and industry groups, conservation districts, counties, cities, and other watershed stakeholders to achieve water quality standards.
  • Help stakeholders implement practices identified in clean-up plans. Connect them with grant funding and cost-share available for TMDL and STI implementation.
  • Provide technical assistance and outreach on water quality protection in order to help landowners achieve compliance with water quality laws. Understand and effectively communicate the best management practices needed and the science behind them.
  • Manage complaint response for non-point pollution issues in eastern Washington to ensure we respond as needed and work to fix pollution problems.
  • Work as part of a team on the Hangman Creek Settlement agreement that sets specific on-the-ground implementation objectives.
  • Where appropriate, issue formal enforcement actions, including administrative orders and penalties, to ensure clean water actions are implemented.
  • Develop partnerships with local governments on select water quality improvement projects and manage grants and loans for local agencies performing watershed implementation activity projects.

Required Qualifications:
Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment, educational and volunteer experience. See below for how you may qualify.

Option 1:

Nine (9) years of combined education and experience:

  • Education: Involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field.
  • Experience: In environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.
Experience may include a combination of the following:
  • Investigating environmental complaints or violations
  • Performing inspections or field investigations
  • Writing environmental clean-up plans
  • Implementing stream restoration projects or completing aquatic habitat work
  • Planning, developing, and conducting data collection, and analyzing the results
  • Assisting businesses with regulatory requirements, including explaining options for coming into compliance

Option 2: 

  • A Bachelor’s degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field.

  • Five (5) years of experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning as described in Option 1.

Option 3: 

  • A Master’s degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field.

  • Three (3) years of experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning as described in Option 1.

Option 4:

  • A Ph.D. in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field

  • Two (2) years of experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning as described in Option 1.

Option 5:

  • Two (2) years of experience as an Environmental Specialist 3 at the Department of Ecology.