For more information, please follow this link: https://www.conservationjobboard.com/job-listing-scientific-technician-2—creel-technicians—4-openings—non-permanent—05215-22-mill-creek-washington/3150593176?utm_source=ongage&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=regular

Salary– $2,864.00 – $3,701.00 Monthly

Picture yourself conducting creel surveys in rivers as part of WDFW’s freshwater recreational fisheries monitoring program.

These are opportunities to collect data that assists with management decisions for the North of Falcon state/tribal plans.

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

Our Creel Technicians,

Perform Creel Sampling. 

  • Collects and summarizes recreational fisheries data in freshwater systems.
  • Examine angler catch and sample salmonids and game fish including steelhead.
  • Samplers will drive a route along the river enumerating angler fishing effort and catch at predetermine locations.
  • Angler interviews will be conducted at boat ramps, WDFW access sites, and along the riverbank in some locations.
  • Technicians will be responsible for collecting biological data: scanning for CWT’s, scales, length measurements, and DNA.
  • They will follow the sampling protocol established by the WDFW biometricians for creel surveys.

Data Management. 

  • Records daily creel data using iPads.
  • Is responsible for QA/QC their own data and syncing it to the database at the end of each sampling day. Aid Supervisor with fisheries estimates entering data in excel workbook, fish database, ArcGIS, or R statistical program.

Equipment Maintenance. 

  • Maintains and services equipment including electronic sampling gear (iPads), T wands, measuring board, and trucks.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work Setting, including hazards: 

  • Primarily field work in and around rivers/streams walking up to 3 miles on rugged often slippery/uneven terrain in and out of water and occasionally manipulating fish that weight up to 50 lbs – variable temperature and weather may be encountered in the field such as heavy rain, snow, fog, and extreme heat.
  • Technicians might be asked to drive in areas where the roads are partially flooded or covered in snow to get to access sites – majority of time will be spent in a vehicle driving to each sampling location on the river and waiting for anglers to complete their fishing trip for interviews.
  • May encounter swift moving water during moderate river flows and log jams operating a pontoon.

Schedule: 

  • Typically, work schedule is Sunday through Saturday, non-scheduled, 24/7.
  • Weekends, non-consecutive days off, and occasional long hours required.

Travel Requirements: 

  • Travel is required from your assigned duty station to river sites.
  • Technicians will cover a large spatial area daily to survey – there is the possibility to use agency automobiles as well as personal vehicles if authorized.

Tools and Equipment:

  • Agency will provide trucks, exposure apparel (raincoat and pants, hat, waders/boots), sampling gear (knives, scissors, tweezers, hemostats, measuring board, Personal Floatation Device (PFD), iPad, T wand) and laptop.

Special Requirements:

  • Successful completion of agency training and/or certification for assigned watercraft dependent on supervisory direction, position need and training availability.
  • WDFW snorkel training and certification dependent on supervisory direction, position need and training availability.

Customer Interactions: 

  • Strong customer service skills are essential to communicate with the public and recreational anglers, private landowners and co-managers regarding current fishing regulations and regulatory actions.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Graduation from high school or GED, including one (1) year of high school science AND Two (2) years of experience as a Scientific Technician 1.

OR

  • Graduation from high school or GED including one (1) year of high school science AND Two (2) years of laboratory or field experience as an assistant to a biologist, chemist, or zoologist.

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:

  • Valid driver’s license.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Capability to identify river stage salmonids, juvenile salmonids, and other game fish species.
  • Knowledge of the watersheds and fisheries of the Snohomish County.
  • Experience with fisheries creel methodology.
  • Experience operating a non-motorized watercraft (i.e., pontoon or jet boats) for creel or spawning ground surveys.