Fisheries Technician 1 – Cowlitz Fish Passage Technician

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is recruiting candidates to fill the role of Fisheries Technician 1 located at the Cowlitz Falls Fish Facility in Randle, Washington. This is a full-time temporary position. 

 

Group Definition: Fisheries Technicians perform duties related to the protection, preservation, propagation, and sampling of fish species and the preservation or enhancement of their habitat. They use knowledge of procedural requirements and processes to support the technical work of their unit. They provide practical technical support to research, operations, or program administration efforts.

 

Position/Project Specifics:

Staffing of the Cowlitz Falls Fish Facility, the Mayfield Juvenile Fish Facility and the Adult Fish Passage Facility. This 3-month position will fill a 5-day, 8-hour work week that begins on Friday and ends on Tuesday. The incumbent may occasionally be asked to work outside of this schedule. This position has the potential to be extended, pending operational needs.

Locations: The Cowlitz Falls Fish Facility at Cowlitz Falls Dam in Randle, Washington, the Mayfield Juvenile Fish Facility in Silver Creek, WA, and the Adult Separation Facility at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery in Salkum, Washington.

Duties: This exciting position will provide a valuable opportunity to assist with both upstream and downstream fish passage on the Cowlitz River. Are you looking to gain or improve your experience handling juvenile and adult salmonids? Would you like to learn more about fish passage projects at hydroelectric facilities? If you answered yes, you are encouraged to apply for this position!

Work will take place at Tacoma Power fish facilities and is part of a cooperative project with Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), who employs the incumbents, and Tacoma Power, who supervises the employees. Incumbents must be able to work days, including weekends, in inclement weather, exposed to noise, water and heights (in and outside of the facility) and must follow all safety rules.

The Cowlitz Falls Fish Facility is a key component of the program to re-establish anadromous populations of spring Chinook, Coho and Steelhead in the upper Cowlitz River watershed. Smolts collected at the facility are transported to the lower Cowlitz River and released to continue their oceanward migration. Typical job duties include daily fish workup, assisting with collection of biological information on a subset of fish, transporting fish throughout the basin, and participating in various studies designed to assess and improve fish passage.

The Mayfield facility is the the lower Cowlitz River juvenile collection facility where juvenile outmigrants are collected, enumerated, tagged, and released downstream to continue their journey out to the ocean.

The Adult Separation Facility is part of a trap and haul program where adult salmonids are enumerated and checked for species, sex, marks, and tags, and distributed to either broodstock for hatchery needs or transported around the dams to spawn naturally. The progeny of the naturally spawned populations are subsequently collected at the Cowlitz Falls and Mayfield sites.

Candidates must be comfortable working in inclement weather, exposure to loud noises, and be comfortable in a wet environment. All facilities will require the candidate to be competent with neatly and accurately recording data and knowledgeable with data management. Proficiency in juvenile and adult salmonid identification is preferred, though thorough training will be provided.

This position will assist with general housekeeping duties as well as keeping all work areas clean and presentable. This position often works with others and requires a positive, can-do attitude.

 

Essential Functions: 

• Make regular facility inspections, including, for example, dewatering equipment, pumps, flumes, gates, tanks, screens, filters, gate wells, and/or tag interrogation equipment.
• Monitor and maintain water quality levels
• Record findings and adjustments made.
• Assess and communicate mechanical and biological conditions that may impact fish health. 
• Respond appropriately to abnormal conditions. Call standby personal as needed to help address critical situations
• Identify, enumerate, and transport juvenile salmonids.
• Accurately record and enter data in spreadsheets.

Knowledge Required by the Position:

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