Fisheries/Watershed Health Technician
With Pitkin County Healthy Rivers & White River National Forest Service
Basalt, CO
Program Overview: River Science is the lead organization for River Corps and is a 501c(3) nonprofit located in Canon City, CO. The River Corps program places AmeriCorps Members at organizations and agencies throughout Colorado to focus on helping the efficiency, efficacy, and scale of healthy rivers and watersheds. To thrive in these technical positions, Members will receive comprehensive training and ongoing support. Specifically, all members will receive training in water quality sampling, stream flow measurement, on-the-ground project monitoring with GIS, and essential watershed coordination techniques to ensure they are adding valuable capacity to watershed actions and initiatives across Colorado. Some positions will require members to be trained in low-tech process-based restoration (ltpbr).
Service Site Overview: Located on the Western Slope in the headwaters region of the Colorado River, the efforts of the Pitkin County Healthy Rivers Program (PCHR) and the White River National Forest (WRNF) both serve important roles monitoring, maintaining, and enhancing the health of the Roaring Fork Watershed. With the Roaring Fork River contributing 10-12% of the annual flow of the Colorado River, this partnership’s stewardship and restoration efforts continues to gain importance.
From the county seat in Aspen, CO, PCHR protects, defends, and enhances the rivers and streams of the entire Roaring Fork Watershed, not just Pitkin Co, on behalf of the people and the environment. The WRNF includes 2.3 million acres of managed land and is a world-renowned recreation destination home to iconic destinations such as the Maroon Bells and Hanging Lake, 10 peaks over 14,000 feet, and eight wilderness areas. The WRNF Fisheries Program has a strong history of identifying and implementing watershed restoration projects within the forest, including beaver habitat identification and opportunity zones, LTPBR, Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP), and more.
Service Position Summary: The Fisheries/Watershed Health Technician will be a shared position between the PCHR and the US Forest Service WRNF Fisheries Program on various tasks often with synergistic goals.
PCHR ( ~25% of the member’s time, April-May) seeks a highly motivated individual to help initiate and/or assist in community outreach and education initiatives around greater watershed and river health opportunities for the Roaring Fork Valley. This individual will help organize, lead, and participate in stakeholder and community outreach/education events related to supporting beavers and other objectives of PCHR. Included in the outreach will be identifying landowner frustrations with beaver and tasks may lead to service opportunities to assist in cost effective strategies, implementation, and monitoring. This Member will assist in activities that help further the mission and capture the perspectives, concerns, and hopes of participating community members / stakeholders. Gained technical and interpersonal skills will be key to helping assist in these outreach activities and determine other opportunities to help achieve wider watershed health objectives.
WRNF ( ~75% of the time, beginning in June), manages ~700,000 acres within the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District and seeks a technically minded individual to work with the Fisheries program. This program collects a variety of data to inform management decisions related to aquatic species and their habitat including native Colorado River Cutthroat Trout, Boreal toads, and beaver. The WRNF is a busy office with many active programs, including aquatics, wildlife, and forest health. The USFS position would be based out of the Roaring Fork Valley, between El Jebel and Aspen, Colorado. The Forest may be able to provide a bunkhouse for a convenient housing option for the duration.
Essential Functions (Primary Responsibilities):
Collaboration & Communication
Position will initiate, manage, and assist PCHR staff in community education and outreach, especially related to supporting beavers
Survey various stakeholders and community members
Collaborate with team members, stakeholders, and community members
Provide drafts to supervisors for review, feedback, and edits, and incorporate feedback into final products
Manage ongoing outreach tasks and refine the outreach strategy as needed
Technical
Deploying a network of stream temperature thermometers to assess and monitor cold water stream conditions
Conducting Boreal toad surveys in alpine wetlands
Backpack electrofishing related to trout and cutthroat population monitoring
Collecting aquatic macroinvertebrate samples to assess and monitor stream habitat conditions
Assist with aquatic wildlife surveys (fish and amphibians).
Perform water resources monitoring and data collection, sometimes using electronic loggers.
Marginal Functions (Secondary Responsibilities):
Cataloging and summarization of data collected
Participating in the development and execution of wet meadow restoration projects
Assisting in planning for an ongoing beaver inventory
Helping to manage a volunteer beaver dam analog project
Assist other agencies (CPW) and other partners with aquatics related tasks.
Physical, Emotional, and Intellectual Demands:
This position will be enjoyable for a very flexible and adaptable person that’s interested in learning about Federal land management.
Routinely you will be required to: drive for hours, then hike miles with a pack to locations that sometimes have trails but oftentimes do not. Conditions can be hot or cold, and most of the time across steep terrain and alpine riparian conditions. Consider how comfortable you are walking ~3 miles an hour with a pack.
This position will be fast paced and varied, with lots of responsibilities and shifting priorities. Routine and predictability will be rare.
Ability to exercise both outdoor and indoor skills sets.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work well with others as part of a team
A deep appreciation and desire to learn about stream processes and health
Communicate thoughtfully and respectfully, both verbally and in writing
Writing and storytelling skills are highly desirable
Ability to manage time and a complex schedule
Willing and able to spend consecutive days camping to complete field work, some of which could be backcountry conditions
Capable of lifting 50 lbs.
Willing to work in varying weather conditions
Some tolerance for the rigors of bureaucracy will be an asset.
Qualifications:
Must possess a reliable transportation vehicle (4X4 is ideal), driver’s license, and proof of auto insurance. A Forest vehicle will be used for USFS work.
Must be able to operate 4x4 vehicles
Must possess a cell phone in good working order
Experience with Microsoft office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Undergraduate degree in biology, wildlife management, watershed science or related field
Familiarity using a GPS will be an asset.
Familiarity with fisheries, hydrology, stream and other habitat processes is highly desirable.
AmeriCorps Required Qualifications:
At least 17 years old at start of service [may adjust to 18 years old per program design]
Must be a high school graduate, GED recipient, or working toward attaining a high school diploma or GED during the term of service. Members must obtain either a diploma or GED before using an education award.
Be a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident of the United States
Able to pass a National Service Criminal History Check (state, FBI, and National Sex Offender Public Website checks) per 45 CFR 2540.202
Term of Service / Time Commitment: This is a TQT (three quarter time) national and community service position requiring, at a minimum, a total of 1200 hours during the year (approximately 37-40 hours per week). The position begins February 16, 2026 and ends September 30, 2026.
Position service weeks working with PCHR are flexible and generally occur between Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 5 pm with occasional evenings, board meetings attendance and weekends.
Weeks working with the Forest Service will be Monday to Thursday, 7 am - 5 pm. Flexible hours may be required including occasional evening, weekend, and overnight commitments. Within these hours, there will be sufficient opportunity to fulfill the full term of 1200 hours, including holidays, time off, and missed hours to makeup.
Training and Support Provided: River Corps members receive significant training and experience in technical skillsets (e.g. water quality data collection, assessment with GIS) and community engagement (e.g. watershed coordination, stakeholder communication). Up to 20% of total hours served may be spent in applicable approved trainings. Members will be supervised and supported by Lisa Tasker, Admin Specialist, Pitkin County Healthy Rivers Program, healthyrivers@pitkincounty.com; R. Clay Ramey, Fisheries Biologist White River National Forest, robert.ramey@usda.gov, as well as by Allison Palmasano, River Corps Program Director, allison@river.science / 719.429.3707. The cohort of members serving throughout the region will act as additional resources and support for each other.
Location and Service Conditions: This position (~25%) is based at the Pitkin Co’s River Park Center, 123 Emma Road. Basalt, CO with work from home options and travel to various areas within the county. Work involved with USFS ~(75%) will occur throughout the Roaring Fork Valley of Western Colorado and will involve travel around the vicinity of the White River National Forest.
Benefits:
A living allowance of $17,500 will be made in bi-weekly (every other Friday) payments of $1060.61 before tax. Taxes are deducted and the living allowance is distributed by direct deposit to the member
An education award of $5,176.50 upon successful completion of term of service
The Forest Service will attempt to help organize lodging in a bunkhouse. Not guaranteed.
Training certificates in Water Quality & Ecology, and Hydrology Technician 1
It is possible to temporarily postpone repayment of qualified student loans through forbearance while serving as an AmeriCorps member
Mileage reimbursement for travel to required trainings and days of service
Non-tangible benefits including valuable hands-on experiences, networking, opportunity to help river and watershed health in a local community.
Alumni benefits include priority hiring with organizations that are part of Employers of National Service and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program to eliminate educational debt.
Equal Opportunity Statement:
River Conservation Corps (RCC) recognizes the value of diversity and inclusiveness to advance environmental education. RCC defines diversity in its broadest sense and welcomes everyone including but not limited to people of all races, ethnicities, genders, gender expressions, sexual orientations, abilities, ages, national origins, socioeconomic status, religious affiliations, languages, and heritages.
Pitkin County shall not discriminate against any employee, volunteer or program participant on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, disability, political affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity, gender expression, marital, parental, veteran or military status, political service, or membership, participation or association with any employee organization. We provide equal employment and volunteer opportunities to all individuals based on relevant qualifications and abilities.