Hydrology Assistant AmeriCorps

Hydrology Assistant (52 Weeks) - Ameri Corps POSITION DETAILS

• Position (s): 4399
• Position Title: Hydrology Assistant - Ameri Corps
• Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
• Site
  
  Location:
  
  Water Resources Division, Lakewood, Colorado
• Number of positions available: 1

• Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)
• Flexible
  
  Start Date:
  
  Yes
• Start Date: 6/1/2026
• End Date: 5/31/2027
• 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: $450.00 (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.

saltwater intrusion, sea level rise, groundwater, water supply, coastal processes, monitoring, water quality, environmental changes

This Hydrology Assistant is an Ameri Corps position. Currently, there is no centralized source of data on the location of groundwater wells in coastal parks. Without this information, the NPS does not know the complete status of freshwater resources and their vulnerability to the effects of rising groundwater tables, sea level rise, and saltwater intrusion. This position will positively impact a number of potential resource evaluation and vulnerability assessment efforts related to groundwater resources to guide management decisions in coastal parks.

A first important step will be to identify and attribute the groundwater wells located within these coastal park units, following preexisting workflows and data repository structures developed for an ongoing inventory of groundwater wells being conducted for inland park units. Next, locations evaluated to have high resource concerns and/or vulnerability will be classified for additional real time or periodic monitoring of water level and salinity.

These locations may include wells which supply potable water to park units, areas where shallow groundwater supports wildlife and plants, and locations where cultural, historical, or infrastructure resources are being impacted by the changes in groundwater geochemistry due to saltwater intrusion.

These efforts will be impactful in better understanding the scope, extent, and severity of saltwater intrusion in coastal park settings, and better inform proactive and protective responses to the impacts this process may have on a broad range of NPS resources.

Coastal areas are often the intersection of fresh and saline waters. This intersection can create variety marsh, estuary, and brackish water ecosystems and unique fresh-saline interface groundwater systems. When the balance of these waters is changed, however, natural and cultural resources may become impaired or lost. As ocean levels rise and large storm events become more significant, the freshwater resources at these interfaces are becoming more vulnerable.

One of these resources is the fresh groundwater lens that often sits both above and adjacent to saline marine waters. These fresh ground waters are the source of potable supply for park operations and visitors, provide water to plants and wildlife and protect the condition and integrity of current and historic infrastructure.

As the impacts of rising groundwater tables, groundwater pumping, sea level rise, and saltwater intrusion become more apparent in coastal park units, it is also becoming apparent that our understanding of these changes and their impacts is limited.

The objective of this service opportunity is to develop a centralized repository of groundwater information at coastal parks, determine status of data availability, develop methods for evaluating vulnerability, and assist with selecting and instrumenting areas for data collection and monitoring. Specific duties will include serving with the primary and secondary supervisors to identify sources of information, determine attributes to collect and document, develop, and populate a repository of site information, inventory results, research papers, and other pertinent references, and develop a spatial database of the information in either an ArcGIS Pro or Arc Online interface.

Data collection methods will be developed and tested, and site visits to more than one NPS unit will be necessary to collect or confirm data or test methods and…