Watershed Keeper Citywide; U00048

Company Description

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area.

Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is headquartered in San Francisco. We have 2,300 employees operating across eight counties serving more than 2.7 million customers in the San Francisco Bay Area – 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Our Mission: To provide our customers with high quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and wastewater services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.

Our Vision: We are an innovative utility leader, recognized for excellent results in service, safety, stewardship, and inclusiveness.

Application Opening:
February 18, 2026

Final date to receive applications:
March 4, 2026

For questions, contact ihankins

Under general supervision, this role involves the general maintenance of watershed lands and reservoir properties, aqueducts, and facilities; patrols to prevent trespassing on watershed lands, pollution to water supplies, and land encroachments on the rights‑of‑way; response to various emergency conditions; preventative measures to reduce risk of emergency actions; and assistance with fighting forest fires.

Nature of work: considerable physical effort in patrolling the watershed area; continuing exposure to inclement weather and other potentially hazardous elements and conditions where minor injuries may occur.

• Patrols and inspects rights‑of‑way, watershed and reservoir areas; removes debris; issues warnings to garbage dumpers, trespassers, and poachers; maintains watersheds and reservoirs to ensure a high‑quality water yield for public consumption.
• Reads and maintains data on indicating meters and recording instruments and charts to determine water levels, water releases, water flow rates and weather station readings, including temperature, precipitation, and other variables; keeps records of unusual incidents, conditions, improvement projects, and work performed.
• Patrols lakes and reservoirs by launch to inspect water conditions and takes samples.
• Locates, reports, and assists in fighting forest fires, and responds to emergency situations.
• Operates vehicles and various machinery related to the flow of water to and from reservoirs, such as pipelines, flumes, spillways, sluice gates, and valves.
• Escorts visitors, manages public access trails, conducts tours, and assists in recreational activities; issues warnings to trespassers and facilitates the removal of trespassers; and performs general labor to assist in watershed maintenance.
• May perform dam, penstock, pipeline and other facility inspections.

Minimum qualifications (MQ) reflect the lowest level of acceptable education and/or experience required of an individual such that the individual reasonably could be expected to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position.

• Education: Possession of a high school diploma or equivalent (GED or High School Proficiency Examination).
• Experience: Two (2) years of verifiable work experience performing duties which involve protection, conservation, operation, natural resource management, and/or maintenance/development of watersheds, reservoirs, and/or forestry.
• License and Certification: Possession of a valid California driver’s license.

Substitution:
Additional education from an accredited college or university, with major coursework in either Watershed Management, Natural Resource Conservation, Forest or Park Management, Wildland/Range Management, Wildland Recreation, Biology, Natural Resources, Physical Science or other closely related fields, may be substituted for the required…