Fish Hatchery Technician

Fish Hatchery Technician - Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery - Non-Permanent - 2026-09140

Are you passionate about fisheries and eager to contribute to our hatchery operations? Be a part of fish conservation efforts in Washington state while gaining valuable hands-on experience.

Assist with basic technical and scientific duties at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery facility as we rear juvenile salmon, maintain raceways, and handle adult fish during spawning season.

What to Expect:

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Fish Hatchery Technician will,

• Weigh and physically distribute feed to juvenile salmonids.
• Pick eggs in the incubation room and pond fry from incubators to juvenile raceways and troughs.
• Pick mortality from the juvenile and adult raceways.
• Assist with juvenile weight samples and coefficients of variation (CV’s), mass marking, inventory splits of juveniles, and planting smolts.
• Manually clean juvenile raceways and troughs with a vacuum system.
• Pressure wash and clean rearing ponds, brushing juvenile raceway screens and cleaning water intakes, tanks, troughs, and egg trays.
• Handle adult salmon during spawning operations and nutrient enhance spawned adult carcasses to the upper watershed for distribution.
• Assist with tasks involved with the care of the Mayfield Net Pen project including feeding juvenile salmon, cleaning net pens, and transferring fish to and from the Net Pens.

Working Conditions:

Work Setting, including hazards: Work is performed outside in all weather conditions. Perform strenuous physical activities including repetitively lifting or moving feed bags, salt blocks, and hatchery equipment weighing at least 44 pounds. This position may involve working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties.

Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week. The standard work schedule includes the potential for occasional evening or weekend work as needed. Schedules may vary based on business needs, time of year, and/or weather conditions.

Requirements

• Drive an agency vehicle around the hatchery grounds and to other locations to accomplish business needs.

• Tools and Equipment: Hand and power tools, weed eater, pressure washer, passenger vehicle and forklift, computer, and coded wire tag (CWT) identification equipment.

• Customer Interactions: May interact with members of the public and volunteers.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED.

Certifications/Licenses:

• Valid Driver’s License.

Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to the required qualifications, our ideal applicant will possess some or all the following:

• Professional or volunteer experience in a hatchery setting.