Fisheries Technician - Upper Sacramento Monitoring

Overview

Description Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is recruiting candidates to fill the role of Fisheries Technician 1 - Upper Sacramento Monitoring located in Red Bluff, California. This is a seasonal position projected to start on April 6th, 2026 through 11 months or less.

The Sacramento River Basin Salmonid Monitoring Program is a cooperative agreement between PSMFC and the Department of the Interior as part of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act. The program seeks to make all reasonable efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of Salmonid populations in the region. Adult Chinook salmon spawning and escapement surveys have been historically conducted in the Upper Sacramento River basin to produce adult abundance and trend data that is used to evaluate the performance in region-wide recovery efforts.

Specifically, these data sets are used for the following management purposes: provide a basis for juvenile Chinook salmon production estimates, monitor performance standards to evaluate the success of enhancement and restoration programs, assess hatchery influence, and contribute to inland and ocean harvest management. The purpose of this agreement is to collect essential baseline data in an effort to enhance the population status of anadromous fish in the region.

Additionally, the habitat restoration portion of the project consists of a multi-agency effort to enhance juvenile salmonid rearing habitat and adult spawning habitat in the upper Sacramento river basin. The project seeks to engineer, maintain, and monitor off-channel habitat enhancement sites as well as some in-river sites. Juvenile rearing restoration sites are primarily side channel construction or rehabilitation, designed to provide increased juvenile rearing habitat during fluctuating flow releases from Keswick Dam.

• Participate in survey crews that conduct regional fishery presence/absence research, anadromous fish escapement surveys (carcass, redd, trap/weir, snorkel, hiking, etc.), or tag detection and mark recovery surveys. Make standardized observations such as species identification, length, weight, behavior, growth, survival, reproductive condition, and/or signs of parasites, diseases or pathogens, fin clips or tags.
• Collect biological samples, record/process/QA/QC data, and basic statistical analyses of data is anticipated. Analysis of fish passage video data may also be required. Daily activities may include kayaking, and driving and towing small jet-powered watercraft. Spending 6-8 hours in the field or on a boat is normal, hiking and wading in small streams is a daily activity. Snorkeling and wading in swift water during adverse weather conditions is expected.
• The candidate may also be required to collect juvenile fish habitat use and abundance data using snorkel, and habitat attributes, flow, and GIS mapping using a Mesa tablet. Data tasks will consist of recording field data, and QA/QC of the data. Experience and/or proficiency with scientific data management tools such as the GIS framework, MS suite of programs, or Pathfinder software is desirable but not required.
• Daily activities may also include; the cleaning and maintaining of fish weirs as well as underwater video cameras and equipment. Trouble shooting electrical issues and problem solving while in the field can be expected.
• This is primarily a field-based position in Red Bluff CA and the successful candidate may be routinely exposed to adverse weather conditions throughout all months of the year. The schedule will be a 4-10 shift and candidates will be expected to work weekends and holidays if needed. Driving trucks and towing boats is required. Approximately 80/20 field/office work ratio is a general estimate.

• Participate in survey crews that conduct regional fishery presence/absence research, recreational/commercial fishing surveys, anadromous fish escapement surveys (carcass, redd, trap/weir, snorkel, etc.), or tag detection and mark recovery surveys. Make standardized observations such as species identification, length, weight, behavior, growth, survival, reproductive condition, and/or signs of parasites, diseases or pathogens, fin clips, or tags.
• Collect biological samples, record/process/QA/QC data, and basic statistical analyses of data is anticipated. Analysis of fish passage video data may also be required. Daily activities may include kayaking, and driving and towing small jet-powered watercraft. Spending 6-8 hours in the field or on a boat is normal, hiking and wading in small streams is a daily activity. Snorkeling and wading in swift water during adverse weather conditions is expected.
• Collect juvenile fish habitat use and abundance data using snorkel, and habitat attributes, flow, and GIS mapping using a Mesa tablet. Data tasks will consist of recording field data, and QA/QC of the data. Experience and/or proficiency with scientific data management tools such as the GIS framework, MS suite of programs, or…