For more information, please follow this link: https://www.conservationjobboard.com/job-listing-scientific-technician-2—stream-surveyor—5-openings—non-permanent—12259-22-olympia-washington/3196718891?utm_source=ongage&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=regular%20

Salary– $2,957.00 – $3,821.00 Monthly

Are you passionate about fishing and protecting Washington’s fish populations?

These positions will conduct stream surveys, collecting hatchery and wild Chinook, coho, chum, pink, sockeye, steelhead & lamprey spawning survey data (redd accounting and carcass sampling, in stream sampling) in South Puget Sound watersheds and in Hood Canal.  

Join our team to apply your knowledge and passion to WDFW’s mission to preserve and protect wild fish while providing sustainable recreational opportunities.

This is an opportunity to collect data sets that are critical for hatchery vs. wild salmonid escapement estimates, run reconstruction, and forecasts used in fisheries management for Pacific salmon populations.

With your experience, you will conduct surveys by foot, raft, drift boat, and/or jet sled during all weather conditions and difficult terrainDuties

Our Stream Surveyors will,

  • Enumerate and monitor hatchery and wild salmon/steelhead redds, plus live/dead fish counts, with “Index” reaches surveyed every 7–14 days.
  • Drive to and from surveyed reaches on both highway and off-road conditions.
  • Enumerate and monitor salmon/steelhead redds, plus live/dead fish counts, with “Supplemental” type surveys during peak spawning.
  • Record visible redd and fish counts on field cards.
  • Survey schedule planning.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work Setting, including hazards:

  • Usually surveys alone or at times with other technicians or biologists in a wide variety of terrain and stream substrate conditions.
  • Fieldwork is often done in inclement weather within varying stream flow and visibility conditions. Field work can be strenuous while walking in or along streams with slick boulders, crawling over logjams, wading across riffles with moderate – fast current, or maneuvering watercraft listed above.
  • Repetitively lifting and maneuvering of equipment upwards to or greater than 40 pounds.
  • Must be able to negotiate water in emergency situations.

Schedule:

  • Work hours are generally 40 hours per week.
  • Workdays and hours are determined by weather, stream flows and visibility, and degree of spawning activity. A flexible hourly and daily work schedule is therefore needed to perform the assigned tasks.
  • Weekends and holidays are included as potential workdays.

Travel Requirements:

Daily duty station to work site.

Tools and Equipment:

  • Operate a raft, drift boat, pontoon boats, in a wide range of stream flows, stream viewing conditions, and obstacles.
  • General raingear, waders, wading shoes, raincoat, WDFW hat.

Customer Interactions:

  • Need to have good positive communication skills.
  • Good public relation skills a plus.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

College course work involving major study in biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural sciences, or closely allied field may substitute, year for year, for experience.

  • Graduation from high school or GED, including one year of high school science and two years of experience as a Scientific Technician 1.

Or

  • Graduation from high school or GED including one year of high school science and two years of laboratory or field experience as an assistant to a biologist, chemist, or zoologist.

License:

  • Valid driver’s license.

Training:

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

Ability:

  • The ability to swim is highly recommended.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Knowledge of:

  • Elementary biology.

Skills and Abilities:

  • In-the-field identification of live and dead salmonids.
  • identify, interpret, and monitor salmonid/lamprey spawning activity by species.
  • Basic safe operation of rafts and boats in moving waters.
  • Clearly and concisely fill out field data forms.
  • Basic computer data entry skills.
  • Follow oral and written instructions.
  • Strong communication skills.
  • Ability to interact with the general public.
  • Safe and defensive driver while operating State vehicles.