USGS Watercourse Corridor Study: Ecological Assessments of Stream Sites in Milwaukee Area Waterways

How To Apply

To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY.

• An application
• Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted.  for detailed information about acceptable transcripts.
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• Two educational or professional recommendations.

Organization

U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)

Reference Code

DOI-USGS-2026-21

How To Apply

To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY.

A Complete Application Consists Of

• An application
• Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted.  for detailed information about acceptable transcripts.
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• Two educational or professional recommendations.

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

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Description

• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

USGS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The USGS mission is to monitor, analyze, and predict current and evolving dynamics of complex human and natural Earth-system interactions and to deliver actionable intelligence at scales and time frames relevant to decision makers. As the Nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency, USGS collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides science about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems.

Research Project: The Watercourse Corridor Study (CS) is a large, long-term cooperative effort between the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). MMSD has jurisdictional responsibility for many streams in the Milwaukee area, and the information from this effort is used to inform management decisions affecting those streams. This is a large multi-faceted project, with many science subprojects and goals.

There are opportunities to participate in a range of studies, but the primary studies relevant to the ORISE participant will likely involve the collection and reporting of ecological data at a variety of all/mostly wadable stream sites in the Milwaukee area.

As part of this project, routine ecological monitoring surveys have been performed at 14 stream reaches within the Milwaukee metropolitan area since 2004 (with an additional site added to the network in 2016). Data collected as part of this subproject will include the distribution and abundance of algae, invertebrates, and fish as well as stream habitat, water quality, and environmental DNA (eDNA).

Pairing next-generation eDNA sequencing with traditional whole organism sampling of aquatic communities is valuable to determine the efficacy of both methods by comparing what was identified in the community samples to the eDNA samples, identify locations that may have invasive or rare species that have not been captured via traditional methods, identify locations with sensitive communities to help focus rehabilitation efforts, and attain a holistic view of the biodiversity of aquatic communities at long-term monitoring sites.

Near the start of the 21st century, MMSD reevaluated traditional approaches to stream bank stabilization and adopted a broader approach to flood management that included additional considerations such as enhanced public safety, passage for migrating fish, and enhancement of habitat conditions for aquatic biota. An additional 3 sites have been added to the sampling network to specifically characterize and track changes in fish communities, physical habitat, and riparian vegetation at reconstructed channels.

In addition to their investments in the urban landscape, MMSD is also trying to protect land outside of the urban area to enhance floodwater management. At present, targeted ecological monitoring has not been conducted in many of these areas, making it difficult to assess their baseline condition or measure success following changes in land management practices or restoration efforts. To address this gap, 4 additional sites will be sampled for biological communities, physical stream characteristics, and eDNA.

The Minnesota and Wisconsin Stream Quantification Tool (SQT) will also be used to examine stream function and provide the framework to measure impacts from restoration or mitigation efforts. These efforts will provide a baseline…