Spawning Ground Surveyor - Scientific Technician 2

Title- Spawning Ground Surveyor
Classification- Scientific Technician 2
Job Status- Full-Time/Career Seasonal
Season Length- 5 Months – September 1 – January 30
For the 2025 season, this position is anticipated to begin October 13, 2025.
WDFW Program- Fish Program – Fish Science
Duty Station- Ridgefield, Washington – Clark County

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

What to Expect-
Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Spawning Ground Surveyor will,

Conduct salmonid spawning ground surveys:

• Identify and count adult salmonids (live and dead) and redds.
• Collect biological data (such as length, gender, marks/tags, scales, otoliths, and tissue samples) from live and dead salmonids.
• Enter field data accurately using iPads and ToughPads.
• Walk and operate non-motorized vessels to conduct stream surveys and collect spawning ground data.

Perform data collection, entry, and management:

• Enter data into established spreadsheets and databases (including the Traps, Weirs, and Surveys database and carcass tagging spreadsheets).
• Download information from various handheld data collection devices such as data loggers, iPads, Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag readers and Coded Wire Tag (CWT) detectors.
• Conduct data Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) exercises to ensure data accuracy.

Assist with Lower Columbia River Viable Salmonid Population (VSP) monitoring projects as needed:

• Snorkel to inspect and maintain weirs.
• Deploy nets for fish capture and sampling.
• Conduct presence/absence surveys of spring Chinook and summer steelhead.
• Assist with the installation, maintenance, operation, and removal of resistance board weirs.

Working Conditions:

Work Setting, including hazards: Approximately 85% fieldwork and 15% in an office or laboratory setting. Work outdoors in all weather conditions, in small groups or alone in remote locations. Hike (up to 6 miles), raft (up to 15 miles), and/or snorkel (up to 6 miles in fast moving/swift water conditions), often on and over slippery unstable rocks, large logjams, rotting woody debris, through/around deep pools, and through thick stands of vine maple, blackberry brambles, and other riparian vegetation.

Frequently bend, kneel, crawl, climb, and lift large fish (typically weighing up to 30 lbs.) and repetitively carry loads (weighing up to 70 lbs.) for short distances over rough terrain. Drive during winter road conditions. Climb in and out of watercraft, sample salmon carcasses with strong odors, and record data under adverse weather conditions for long periods of time.

Includes snorkeling in cold, fast-flowing/whitewater conditions, and walking over rough terrain in varying environmental conditions. This position may involve working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments.

Schedule: 24/7 non-scheduled—may work weekends and holidays as needed.

Travel Requirements: Daily travel from the duty station to and from field locations is required with a department-issued vehicle.

Tools and Equipment: Basic hand and carpentry tools, vehicles, non-motorized watercraft, knives, machetes, loppers, battery- operated hedge trimmers, winches, pulleys, and blocks. May use 200-foot beach seines, Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag injectors/readers, Coded Wire Tag (CWT) detectors, GPS units, weighing scales, iPads, and computers.

Customer Interactions: Interact with other departmental personnel, personnel from other agencies, commercial fishers, and the public.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

Option 1: 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.

Option 2: 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 (6) semester or nine (9) quarter hours of natural science classes.

Certifications/Licenses:
Valid Driver’s License.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
Successful completion of agency training and/or certification for assigned watercraft, stream surveying, and snorkeling is dependent on supervisory direction, position need, and training availability.

• CPR/First Aid certification, obtained within two (2) months of hire.
• WDFW snorkel training and certification, completed within six (6) months of hire and renewed annually.

Preferred Qualifications:
In addition to the required qualifications, our ideal applicant will possess some or all the following:

Experience:

• Identifying salmonids and other fish species in larval, juvenile, and adult life stages.
• Identifying salmonid redds.
• Marking and tagging salmonids (live and dead).
• Operating and maintaining resistance board and fixed panel adult fish weirs.
• Operating non-motorized watercraft.
• Driving and towing with 4x4 vehicles.
• Using relational databases (e.g. Microsoft Access) to perform data entry and data quality control/assurance.
• Operating coded-wire-tag (CWT) and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag wands.
• Operating handheld electronics (iPads/Tough Pads).
• Using hand tools (screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches) and power tools (drills, grinders, saws).

Your application should include the following:

• A completed online application showcasing how your qualifications align with the job requirements.
• An up-to-date resume.
• A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, your relevant skills and experience, and why you are the ideal candidate.
• At least three professional references with current contact information.