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Fisheries Technician 1 - Cowlitz Fish Passage Technician
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
Cowlitz County, WA, USA
Posted on Feb 11, 2026
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is recruiting candidates to fill the role of Fisheries Technician 1 located at the Cowlitz Falls Fish Facility in Randle, Washington.
Group Definition: Fisheries Technicians perform duties related to the protection, preservation, propagation, and sampling of fish species and the preservation or enhancement of their habitat. They use knowledge of procedural requirements and processes to support the technical work of their unit. They provide practical technical support to research, operations, or program administration efforts.
Position/Project Specifics:
Staffing of the Cowlitz Falls Fish Facility, the Mayfield Juvenile Fish Facility and the Adult Fish Passage Facility. This position will fill a 5-day, 8-hour work week that begins on Friday and ends on Tuesday. The incumbent may occasionally be asked to work outside of this schedule. This position has the potential to be extended, pending operational needs.
Locations: The Cowlitz Falls Fish Facility at Cowlitz Falls Dam in Randle, Washington, the Mayfield Juvenile Fish Facility in Silver Creek, WA, and the Adult Separation Facility at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery in Salkum, Washington.
Duties: This exciting position will provide a valuable opportunity to assist with both upstream and downstream fish passage on the Cowlitz River. Are you looking to gain or improve your experience handling juvenile and adult salmonids? Would you like to learn more about fish passage projects at hydroelectric facilities? If you answered yes, you are encouraged to apply for this position!
Work will take place at Tacoma Power fish facilities and is part of a cooperative project with Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), who employs the incumbents, and Tacoma Power, who supervises the employees. Incumbents must be able to work days, including weekends, in inclement weather, exposed to noise, water and heights (in and outside of the facility) and must follow all safety rules.
The Cowlitz Falls Fish Facility is a key component of the program to re-establish anadromous populations of spring Chinook, Coho and Steelhead in the upper Cowlitz River watershed. Smolts collected at the facility are transported to the lower Cowlitz River and released to continue their oceanward migration. Typical job duties include daily fish workup, assisting with collection of biological information on a subset of fish, transporting fish throughout the basin, and participating in various studies designed to assess and improve fish passage.
The Mayfield facility is the the lower Cowlitz River juvenile collection facility where juvenile outmigrants are collected, enumerated, tagged, and released downstream to continue their journey out to the ocean.
The Adult Separation Facility is part of a trap and haul program where adult salmonids are enumerated and checked for species, sex, marks, and tags, and distributed to either broodstock for hatchery needs or transported around the dams to spawn naturally. The progeny of the naturally spawned populations are subsequently collected at the Cowlitz Falls and Mayfield sites.
Candidates must be comfortable working in inclement weather, exposure to loud noises, and be comfortable in a wet environment. All facilities will require the candidate to be competent with neatly and accurately recording data and knowledgeable with data management. Proficiency in juvenile and adult salmonid identification is preferred, though thorough training will be provided.
This position will assist with general housekeeping duties as well as keeping all work areas clean and presentable. This position often works with others and requires a positive, can-do attitude.
Essential Functions:
- Make regular facility inspections, including, for example, dewatering equipment, pumps, flumes, gates, tanks, screens, filters, gate wells, and/or tag interrogation equipment.
- Monitor and maintain water quality levels
- Record findings and adjustments made.
- Assess and communicate mechanical and biological conditions that may impact fish health.
- Respond appropriately to abnormal conditions. Call standby personal as needed to help address critical situations
- Identify, enumerate, and transport juvenile salmonids.
- Accurately record and enter data in spreadsheets.
Knowledge Required by the Position:
At the lower end of the range, employees use knowledge of basic arithmetic, reading, writing, and data collection to perform routine or repetitive tasks.
At the upper end of the position range, employees use knowledge of the basic principles and protocols of fish biology to make readings, measurements, and observations; execute tests; collect samples, etc. If complex equipment systems are operated, the employee has the knowledge to perform calibrations or adjustments to achieve desired results.
Additional Mandatory Skills:
- ability to lift 40 - 50 lbs.
- possession of a valid driver's license
- collection of neat and accurate data
Additional Desirable Skills:
- fish species ID skills
- trap/weir
- oral communication skills
- written communication skills
- repair & maintain equipment
Guidelines:
Guides may be regulations, maps and charts, sampling and survey methodologies, standing operating procedures, emergency response protocols, oral instructions, equipment or instrument manuals, hardware/software manuals, and/or fish identification keys.
At the lower end of the range, the guides are directly applicable, specific, and used repetitively. At the upper end of the range, the guides often require careful study or cross-referencing to locate the applicable rule or answer and can involve some interpretation or judgment to resolve the issue.
Complexity:
At the lower end of the range, tasks are clear-cut and directly related. There is little or no choice in deciding what needs to be done. Actions to be taken or responses to be made are readily discernible.
At the upper end of the range, duties often have steps or processes that vary depending upon factors such as the reason the work is being performed or the conditions under which it is being performed. The employee has to be independent in recognizing such differences, choosing the right course of action, and then executing the proper sequences to complete the work.
Physical Demands:
Demands can range from moderate --where there is walking, climbing stairs and ladders, reaching, lifting, bending, and strenuous sweeping-- to rigorous. In the latter case, the incumbent must be able to handle buckets of water or gear weighing up to 50 pounds. Long daily periods of hiking, carrying equipment, swimming, and/or standing may be required. Camping out for extended periods may be required. Some work requires the ability to maintain footing in fast-moving water.
Work Environment:
A portion of the work is performed in an office setting with adequate lighting, heating and ventilation. The majority is performed in fish processing labs, fish holding areas, and/or in the field. Incumbents may work on narrow, elevated walkways and platforms that are over or adjacent to water. Field work involves exposure to all types of weather, slippery rocks, trails, irregular terrain, insects, poison oak, rough or fast-moving water, or cold water temperatures. Work at high elevations or aboard boats may be required.
PSMFC is an EEO/AAP employer. We maintain a drug-free workplace.