Hydrology Assistant AmeriCorps

POSITION DETAILS

Position (s): 4371
Position Title: Hydrology Assistant - Ameri Corps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Denali National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park, Noatak National Preserve, Wrangell - St Elias National Park and Preserve, Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, Fairbanks, Alaska
Number of positions available: 1

Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 05/24/2026
End Date: 05/23/2027
Ameri Corps Slot Classification: 1700 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.

• Segal Ameri Corps Education Award: $7,395.00 upon successful completion of position
• Weekly Living Allowance: $700.00 per week, fixed rate
• Relocation Allowance: $1,100.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck)
• Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by My Ameri Corps , directly)
• Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through My Ameri Corps , directly)
• For 52-week positions only:
  • Free Healthcare Coverage (opt in)
  • Childcare Coverage (opt in)

Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, February 15, 2026. Applications will be reviewed after the Final date to receive applications passes. Positions will close after receiving 60 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 15, 2026, whichever occurs first.

Aquatic ecology, data management, data analysis, outreach, long-term monitoring

This Hydrology Assistant is an Ameri Corps position. The impacts of this project will be a better understanding of long-term lake ecosystem dynamics in response to fire and increased public awareness. Visually striking summaries and graphics are proven to enhance visitor engagement and understanding, pairing enhanced system understanding with outreach products will make this effort far more impactful than either done alone.

In addition, the applicant will influence the development of wildland fire management policies that seek to preserve and protect aquatic ecosystems, the primary mission of the NPS.

Shallow lake ecosystems are one of the most vital habitats in boreal and tundra ecosystems, producing over 12 million ducklings, 2 million goslings, and countless other wetland obligate birds annually. Permafrost degradation, accelerated by ground disturbance, is one of the largest threats to these critical habitats. Wildland fire is the largest and most widespread ground disturbance in boreal and tundra systems, as such, it exerts strong landscape-scale controls on hydrology, vegetation composition, nutrient cycling, and carbon cycling in lake watersheds;

directly impacting water quality and quantity, and ultimately, the health and vitality of aquatic organisms. For the past 20+ years NPS has been actively monitoring lake water quality in boreal and tundra ecosystems impacted by wildland fire. The purpose of this position is to analyze this long-term dataset evaluate the long-term impacts of fire on lake water quantity, chemistry, and vegetation, make recommendations for future monitoring efforts, and influence wildland fire management in the Subarctic and Arctic.

The goal is to prepare a manuscript that summarizes the short- and long-term impact fire has on lake water chemistry, vegetation and hydrology, create outreach projects that distill this information and present it in a condensed format that is visually appealing. In addition, the applicant will collaborate with park staff, fire managers and superintendents to help develop wildland fire management recommendations.

Proposed deliverables will include data summaries and R script that summarize vegetation, lake chemistry, and water quantity data, a written manuscript summarizing the major outcomes, including temporal and regional trends, and outreach products that summarize this information in visually pleasing way. Along with these products the applicant will provide recommendations for future investigations,…