Salmonid Trap Technician - Scientific Technician - Non

Job Title:

Salmonid Trap Technician

Classification:
Scientific Technician 2

Job Status:
Full-Time/Non-Permanent

Appointment/Season Length: 9.75 Months – August 3, 2026 – May 31, 2027

WDFW Program:
Fish Program – Hatchery-Wild Interactions Division

Duty Station:
Dayton, Washington – Columbia County

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

Photo Caption – Tucannon River – Photo Credit:
Alan Bauer

Are you passionate about ensuring sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities?

With your experience, you will collect, analyze, and report data relevant to multiple ESA-listed steelhead and fall Chinook populations.

We are seeking a candidate to assist the Touchet River Steelhead VSP project, Fall Chinook Program, and the Tucannon River Endemic Steelhead Evaluation Project.

What to expect:

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, this position will:

• Adult and juvenile salmonid weir/trap construction, installation, daily maintenance, and data collection.
• Conduct daily adult and juvenile trap checks.
• Assist with trap repair, construction, instream installation, and weir/trap removal.
• Collect, record, and ensure accurate physical and biological (species, size, and scale samples) data and field observations in a timely manner to ensure up to date field summaries are available.
• Make trap operation decisions based on observations of environmental conditions.
• Safe handling and anesthetization of adult and juvenile ESA listed salmonids and other fish species.
• PIT tagging adult and juvenile salmonids.
• Prep and maintain field gear for daily use.

Assist with the Fall Chinook Program at the Snake River Lab.

• Participate in weekly spawning activities at Lyons Ferry Hatchery during fall chinook spawning.
• Spawning Ground/carcass fall chinook surveys in Lower Tucannon River (ability to walk 3-4 miles in a stream under all weather conditions).
• Fish  biological data collection at Lower Granite Dam fish trap.
• QA/QC of data, reconciliation, and summarization of data.
• Picking eggs, CWT retrieval and reading, scale and otolith sampling.
• Cooperate and maintain professional demeanor with other agencies at the adult trap such as but not limited to: NOAA, Nez Perce Tribe, Core of Engineers, Anchor QEA.

Assisting with other duties as required.

• Spawning ground surveys for spring chinook or summer steelhead.
• Hook and line sampling of residual hatchery steelhead.
• Data entry on multiple platforms.
• Data QA/QC.
• Format and upload/download of PIT Tag data to regional databases.
• Assist colleagues within Fish Science, Fish Management, and Hatcheries Division as assigned by supervisor and agreed upon (e.g. PIT Tag Array Installations and/or Maintenance, Creel Surveys, periodically assisting Lyons Ferry Hatchery staff with egg picking, raceway setup, and other tasks).
• Assist with mass PIT tagging activities at Lyons Ferry Hatchery as needed.

Working Conditions:

Work setting:
This position is a combination of both office and field duties.

In-stream adult traps and weirs, juvenile rotating screw traps, Lyons Ferry Hatchery, stream surveys (3-4 miles in length) in various SE WA streams and the Lower Granite Adult fish trap. This position may involve working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments.

Schedule:

Generally day shift, 8-10 hours per day, including weekends. Work conducted during the peak field seasons may include non-standard work hours (weekends, evenings/nights and/or holidays) and the possibility of weeks in excess of 40 hours.

Travel requirements:
No overnight travel is expected. Daily travel is expected for juvenile and adult traps, completing field surveys, assisting in spawning activities at Lyons Ferry, Tucannon River, or other locations within SE WA. Daily travel to Lower Granite Dam may be required.

Customer Interactions:
Possibility of interactions with private landowners during routine field trap checks, as well as contact required to complete spawning ground surveys. Answering questions from visitors and general public's curiosity during field activities, and fielding calls from the public and directing them to…