Salary: $2,957.00 – $3,915.00 Monthly
Location: Chelan County – Wenatchee, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Non-Permanent
Department: Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Job Number: 2023-05396
Closing: 5/3/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

CREEL SURVEY TECHNICIAN 
WDFW FISH PROGRAM
Wenatchee, Washington – Chelan County
Anticipated Appointment Length: 4.25 Months
May 1, 2023 – September 15, 2023

Do you want to contribute to the agency mission by providing maximum recreational fishing opportunities while ensuring the long-term conservation of salmon and marine resources? Conduct creel surveys during fisheries within the upper Columbia River system and perform fish population surveys and fish stocking for Lake Chelan and tributaries. If this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you then apply today and join the WDFW Team!

Picture yourself conducting creel surveys on lakes and streams to gather information on angler usage and harvest.

These are opportunities to identify fish species, take various measurements, check for marks and tags (fin clips,  Floy and/or  PIT tags).

The optimal applicants are team players who take pride in their work, are motivated, dependable, respectful, and able to easily establish rapport. 

We are seeking candidates who respect and value the opinions of others, creating an inclusive team environment where every member feels they contribute value to the project and WDFW.

Duties
Conducts creel surveys on lakes and streams to gather information on angler usage and harvest.  Tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Working extensively with the public to collect information on fisheries.
• Includes use of roving creel surveys, total and/or index counts, and interviewing individual anglers.

Performs sampling fish metrics. Tasks include, but are not limited to:

Conduct fish abundance surveys in small tributary waters.   Tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Setting and maintaining block netting, collecting environmental data to include stream section length, average stream width and water temperature.
• Collecting fish biological data and samples to include scales, tissue samples, length, weight, and species determination.

WORKING CONDITIONS: 

• Work Setting, including hazards:
  1. Field office is in Wenatchee – work is performed in all types of weather high percentage of time being spent in vehicles, conducting surveys primarily walking/hiking to rivers and lakes to conduct angler interviews and effort counts.
  2. Lifting and sampling salmon multiple times a day during peak fishing season – some salmon may weigh around 40 lbs. in inclement weather and walking short distances on uneven ground, wading, and rocky river environments
• Schedule:
  1. Schedule is variable, adjusted according to need. 
  2. Usually five days per week, 24/7 schedule – weekend work required.
• Travel Requirements:
  1. Daily travel in WDFW issued vehicles up to 2,500 miles per month.
• Tools and Equipment:
  1. Knife for removing fish snouts, boots, waders, electronic tag detectors, GPS units.
• Customer Interactions:
  1. Extensive work with the public in conducting interviews and informing anglers of rules and regulations.

Qualifications
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

          OR 

Please Note: College course work involving major study in biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural sciences, or closely allied field will substitute, year for year, for experience, provided the course work includes at least six semester or nine quarter hours of natural science classes.

Certifications/Licenses: 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Experience conducting creel surveys on resident and/or anadromous fish species in stream and lake environments.
• Knowledge of both resident and anadromous fish species. 
• Working knowledge of stream and/or lake fish surveys.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT: WDFW requires all employees to be fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment.  You will be required to provide proof of vaccination as part of the hiring process. Please do not upload your vaccination documentation with your application materials – your vaccination status will be verified by your supervisor before you will be allowed to work. Exemptions may be granted for religious or medical purposes.

To Apply
Please note: Failure to follow the instructions below may lead to disqualification.

In order to successfully apply for this position, you MUST complete your profile at www.careers.wa.gov and attach the following to your profile before completing the online application:

• A current resume. 
• Three professional references. 

IMPORTANT NOTES: All new employees must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) on their first day of work. If hired for this or any position at WDFW, you will be required to provide documentation proving you are eligible to work in the United States. For a list of acceptable documents, please use the following link:  https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4008937/creel-survey-technician-scientific-technician-2-non-perm-05396-23