Individual Placement - Fish Biotechnician at McNary Dam

Student Conservation Association

5d•Onsite

About The Position

McNary Dam is a major run‑of‑the‑river hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River, situated between Umatilla County, Oregon, and Benton County, Washington. Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the dam became fully operational in 1957 and now supports hydropower generation, navigation, recreation, and extensive fish and wildlife programs. McNary is also home to a robust Biotechnician and Juvenile Fish Program, where technicians support the monitoring, collection, and safe passage of juvenile salmonids as they migrate downstream. This work includes operating and maintaining sampling equipment, collecting biological data, assisting with fish condition assessments, and contributing to long‑term research that informs regional fish management strategies. The program is essential to balancing hydropower operations with the protection and recovery of threatened and endangered fish species. Participants will support the project’s juvenile fish bypass operations, which include sampling juvenile salmon every other day from April 1 through September 30. The primary objective is to safely guide juvenile fish around the project while meeting all Fish Passage Plan requirements. Most responsibilities will involve conducting powerhouse fish system checks during the Monday–Friday day shift, with additional facility and fish‑related tasks assigned as needed.

Requirements

Minimum requirement of a high school diploma
Valid driver’s license
Basic computer skills to complete online training
Ability to work in extreme weather conditions
Ability to climb and navigate stairs
Strong verbal and written communication skills

Nice To Haves

Fish identification experience

Responsibilities

Perform daily gatewell observations and complete VBS differential measurements, including trash differentials.
Conduct morning and afternoon cycles of the JCC orifices, record channel conditions, and monitor brushes and the air bubbler.
Purge JCC air and operate the hoist each day, and cycle any unused operational orifices weekly.
Carry out VBS cleaning as needed, including running brushes, resetting orifices, and recording mortality.
Assist with weekly camera inspections, check office mail and JFF aquariums daily, and help release sample raceway 9W while documenting any mortality.
Support the separator technician on sample collection days, check separator voicemail and the JFF daily, and provide lunch‑break coverage as needed.
Assist with JFF maintenance, secure the JFF facility each day, and verify heating or AC settings, including in the PIT tag room.
Complete daily log entries and perform other duties as assigned.
Potential separator duties may be assigned, which involve monitoring the sample system for an entire shift when staff are out sick or on leave. This includes removing debris and fish, as well as recording all required data and observations.