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MHCC Fisheries Intern - Lamprey Project
CRITFC
Portland, OR, USA
Posted on Mar 17, 2026
Summary
The MHCC Fisheries Intern will work for the CRITFC Lamprey Program. The intern will assist Fishery Technicians with trapping, transporting, and hatchery holding of adult Pacific lamprey in support of the tribes’ Pacific lamprey translocation programs. Pacific lamprey are collected using a variety of trapping methods at Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day dams on the Columbia River. Traps are checked daily and collected fish are transported to a hatchery facility and held in tanks until being transferred to CRITFC member tribes approximately weekly. Assisting with regional and tribal partner lamprey studies (e.g. floating trap testing, PIT tagging, collecting biological data, assisting with predation studies by collecting samples from avian or fish predators, etc.).
CRITFC trapping occurs 7 days a week. The intern will be scheduled to work on weekends and some weekdays for a total of between 8 – 40 hours per week. The schedule will be determined based on need and Intern availability. Workdays may occasionally exceed 8 hours per day during the peak of the lamprey run, with overtime accrued for hours over 40 per week (the week is Sunday – Saturday).
This is an in-person position based out of the Portland Office. Must be a Mt. Hood Community College student pursuing a degree in Fishery Technology.
Responsibilities
- Assist with collecting biological data, tissue samples, and executing technical procedures.
- Safely handling and accurately enumerating up to several hundred lamprey per day.
- Assist with setting and checking Pacific lamprey traps at Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day dams on the Columbia River to collect adult lamprey for CRITFC member tribes.
- Transporting and holding collected lamprey in vehicle tanks and hatchery tanks.
- Measure and inject lamprey with Oxytetracycline.
- Monitoring fish health and water quality during trapping, transportation, and holding. Report abnormalities to a supervisor immediately.
- Assist with operating and maintaining dissolved oxygen and temperature probes and other sampling equipment.
- Taking detailed sampling notes, conducting data entry, and data management.
- Driving daily from the Portland duty station to the dams and back in CRITFC vehicles. Follow CRITFC driving rules.
- Conducting outreach and education.
- Report any hazards or injuries immediately to a supervisor.
- Report any damage to equipment or the facility.
Qualifications
- Must be a Mt. Hood Community College student pursuing a degree in Fishery Technology.
- Minimum high school diploma or equivalent.
- Completion of required MHCC prerequisites for the Intern course credits.
- Ability to follow established fish collection, handling, and holding protocols.
- Ability to collect and maintain high quality data records from field and laboratory work.
- A willingness to pitch in and get the work done as a team and do so in an effective and positive manner.
- A strong orientation to safety. The ability to recognize safety risks and exercise good judgement to keep yourself and others safe. Ability to follow behavioral and safety requirements while working at federal hydro dams and state fish hatcheries.
- Must be a reliable and on time person, as our crew works together as a team and commutes to Bonneville Dam together each day.
- The ability to lift and carry objects weighing at least 50 lbs. and set and pull traps up to 75 lbs. with assistance.
- Must have the ability to work in inclement weather.
- Available to work a schedule that includes Saturday and Sunday and to be on call occasionally when necessary.
- Work from the Portland duty station.
Working Conditions
This position is physically demanding and requires frequent walking, lifting, and carrying buckets of fish and water weighing up to 30 pounds up and down flights of stairs, on walkways over and alongside flowing water, at heights while working at dams, and into and out of pickup truck tanks. The position requires lifting, carrying, and moving items weighing up to 75 lbs. as a two-person lift. Other activities include climbing up and down ladders, bending, stooping, crouching, and pulling ropes. Ability to safely operate motor vehicles including large pickup trucks for up to 6 hours per day on freeways, at Army Corps of Engineers dams, and on state hatchery grounds. Vehicle operation requires extreme caution in the presence of potential hazards including construction crews, narrow dam roadways, and pedestrians and tourists. Additional or extended working hours may be required occasionally to meet job related duties and functions. Must be able work in indoor and outdoor settings under environmental conditions ranging from cold, wet, and humid to hot, dry, and windy.
CRITFC Motor Vehicle Policy
This job occasionally requires driving a CRITFC vehicle or your own vehicle for business (mileage compensated), and therefore you must be able to meet the terms of the CRITFC Motor Vehicle policy. Per the policy, applicants are required to have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record for the past three years. This includes a three-year record clear of the following:
- Reckless Driving
- Driving Under the Influence
- Suspension or revoked license
- No more than two at-fault accidents
- No more than one major violation or two minor violations.
Native Hiring Preference
CRITFC implements a tribal preference policy and encourages citizens and descendants of our member tribes (Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Yakama) and other federally recognized tribes to apply.
CRITFC is committed to building a culturally inclusive community and a work environment that respects and inspires every person. Members of historically marginalized groups including women, people of color, those with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, those who have served in the military, and members of other underrepresented communities are invited to apply.
Recruitment period
Opened until filled