7470 – Watershed Keeper

About the Position: Under general supervision, completes work that involves the general maintenance of watershed lands and reservoir properties, aqueducts, and facilities; patrols to prevent trespassing on Watershed lands, pollution to water supplies, and land encroachments on the rights-of-way; responds to various emergency conditions; takes preventative measures to reduce risk of emergency actions; and assists in fighting forest fires.

Nature of work: considerable physical effort in patrolling the watershed area; continuing exposure to inclement weather and other potentially hazardous elements and to working conditions where minor injuries may occur.

Essential duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

• Patrols and inspects rights-of-way, watershed and reservoir areas; removes debris; issues warnings to garbage dumpers, trespassers, and poachers; maintains watersheds and reservoirs, to ensure a high-quality water yield for public consumption.
• Reads and maintains data on indicating meters and recording instruments and charts to determine water levels, water releases, water flow rates and weather station readings, including temperature, precipitation, and other variables; keeps records of unusual incidents, conditions, improvement projects, and work performed.
• Patrols lakes and reservoirs by launch to inspect water conditions and takes samples.
• Locates, reports, and assists in fighting forest fires, and responds to emergency situations.
• Operates vehicles and various machinery related to flow of water to and from reservoirs, such as pipelines, flumes, spillways, sluice gates, and valves.
• Escorts visitors, manages public access trails, conducts tours, and assists in recreational activities; issues warnings to trespassers and facilitates the removal of trespassers; and performs general labor to assist in Watershed maintenance.
• May perform dam, penstock, pipeline and other facility inspections.

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications. 

How to qualify

Minimum qualifications (MQ) reflect the lowest level of acceptable education and/or experience required of an individual such that the individual reasonably could be expected to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position.  Candidates must meet all the requirements established by the MQs to be considered for the position.

• Education: Possession of a high school diploma or equivalent (GED or High School Proficiency Examination). AND
• Experience: Two (2) years of verifiable work experience performing duties which involve protection, conservation, operation, natural resource management, and/or maintenance/development of watersheds, reservoirs, and/or forestry. AND
• License and Certification: Possession of a valid California driver’s license.

Substitution: Additional education from an accredited college or university, with major coursework in either Watershed Management, Natural Resource Conservation, Forest or Park Management, Wildland/Range Management, Wildland Recreation, Biology, Natural Resources, Physical Science or other closely related fields, may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis (up to a maximum of six (6) months). Six months is equivalent to fifteen (15) semester units/ twenty-two (22) quarter units.

Note: One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week.)