Fish Hatchery Technician - Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery - Non-Permanent - 2026-09140
About The Position
The Fish Hatchery Technician assists with basic technical and scientific duties at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery in Salkum, Washington. The role supports rearing juvenile salmon, maintaining raceways, and handling adult fish during spawning season. This is a full-time, non-permanent appointment lasting five months, from December 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027. Work takes place outdoors in all weather conditions and may involve working in or near water. The position requires strenuous physical activity, including repeatedly lifting or moving items weighing at least 44 pounds. The standard schedule is 40 hours per week, with possible occasional evening or weekend work; schedules may vary with business needs, season, and weather. Travel includes driving an agency vehicle around hatchery grounds and to other locations. The technician may interact with members of the public and volunteers.
Requirements
- High school diploma or GED.
- Valid driver’s license.
- Ability to perform strenuous physical activities, including repeatedly lifting or moving feed bags, salt blocks, and hatchery equipment weighing at least 44 pounds.
- Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions and potentially in or near water.
Nice To Haves
- Professional or volunteer experience in a hatchery setting.
Responsibilities
- Weigh and physically distribute feed to juvenile salmonids.
- Pick eggs in the incubation room and pond fry from incubators to juvenile raceways and troughs.
- Remove mortality from juvenile and adult raceways.
- Assist with juvenile weight samples and coefficients of variation (CVs), mass marking, inventory splits of juveniles, and planting smolts.
- Manually clean juvenile raceways and troughs using a vacuum system.
- Pressure wash and clean rearing ponds; brush juvenile raceway screens; and clean water intakes, tanks, troughs, and egg trays.
- Handle adult salmon during spawning operations and nutrient-enhance spawned adult carcasses for distribution to the upper watershed.
- Assist with care of the Mayfield Net Pen project, including feeding juvenile salmon, cleaning net pens, and transferring fish to and from the net pens.
- Drive an agency vehicle around hatchery grounds and to other locations for business needs.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
