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Vacancies are currently open for interdisciplinary scientists and (or) physical scientists with the USGS HQ Water Mission Area

Water Mission Area  Interdisciplinary -GS-0401/1301/1529-11/12, Interdisciplinary -GS-0401/1301/1529-12/13,  Physical Scientist GS-1301-11/12  and Physical Scientist GS-1301-12/13 announcements has been set to open on Tuesday, February 28th , 2023

The announcement numbers are USGS-SAC-23-1185431-DHA-SR, USGS-SAC-23-11850397-DHA-SR, USGS-SAC-23-11850442-DHA-SR and USGS-SAC-23-11850405-DHA-SR  , or you may access the job announcement through the following links:

NOTE – The announcement will be open to:  Tuesday, March 14th, 2023***

Here are a few reminders for any interested applicants:

  • Resumes should also include a month/year and hours per week worked, along with their relevant work experience underneath each period of employment.  Their resume should contain enough details regarding their work experience for us to determine whether they have the specialized experience or not.
  • If they have current or prior federal service, they should list the grade levels. If this is left out, it won’t necessarily get them rated out, but it may help them get rated in easier. Submitting copies of their SF-50’s showing their current grade and series is also helpful OR if they were previously in the series, they should submit those SF-50’s too.
  • They MUST submit ALL required documentation prior to the announcement closing. All documents must be legible. They can always e-mail the contact person in the announcement to confirm that their documents have all been uploaded correctly. Sometimes the documents submitted are blurry and really hard to read, or the file is corrupt, and we can’t access their documents. We do NOT accept late documents.
  • If they receive an email to complete a secondary assessment (USA Hire Competency Based Assessment), they must complete the assessment within the timelines identified by the email, or they will not be considered.  Note, they should set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time.
  • Please Note: The ABOVE information and much more can be found on the HELP section of the USAjobs site. It goes more into detail regarding the federal hiring process, proper resume format and covers some of what I’ve listed above in more detail.    https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

 

Columbia River Basin Long-Term Water Supply & Demand Forecast Delivered to Ecology

Data Access Website

Every five years, the WRC works with the Washington State Department of Ecology and researchers from WSU and other universities to produce a Columbia River Basin Long-Term Water Supply & Demand Forecast.  The 2021 forecast was released on August 1 2022.  The WSU press release is available here.  For more information including an Executive Summary, the full technical report (due out in late August), and a data repository, visit the WRC CRB Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast Project page.

Skagit Basin Water Supply and Demand Synthesis: A Story Map

A screenshot of the Skagit S&D website to illustrate what it looks like

The State of Washington Water Research Center recently led an effort to collect and synthesize available data and information about water supply and demand in the Skagit Basin (WRIAs 3 and 4). This synthesis was developed in response to a request by the Washington State Legislature Joint Task Force on Water Supply. The research team was comprised of researchers from Washington State University, the University of Washington, HDR Engineering, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The final product is this Story Map Series website, a synthesis of published science and technical knowledge of the Skagit hydrologic system. Virtually all maps and graphics on the website are interactive to provide multiple perspectives on data.  Check it out!

Water Resources Club

The Water Resources Club at Washington State University is a community of students and advisers committed to engagement with local and regional water issues.  We cherish and celebrate clean and bountiful water for humans and wildlife, alike.

We are from many backgrounds: engineering, environmental science, art, cultural and spiritual wisdom, policy, and economics. Join our club to add your voice today.

We at the Water Resources Club are passionate about engaging in education and projects that improve the quality and abundance of water for all living things. We are interested in many facets of water issues: from the science and engineering of watersheds and water systems, to management and policy of water resources, to the regional cultural and spiritual aspects of water. Contact us to suggest a project for our involvement or issues around which we can help spread awareness, or join our club to add your skills and vision.

 

For more information, please check out our webpage.

WRC Leads a 5-year Research Effort for Improving Water Use Efficiency

A new 5 million dollar, five-year project led by the WRC and funded by the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Water for Food Production Systems Challenge Area will be working to identify promising emerging technologies and synergistic policies to improve technical and allocative water use efficiency in irrigated agriculture.

The research team, which includes scientists at the University of Idaho, University of Washington, Kansas State University, University of Utah, Mammoth Trading, Aspect Consulting, and a diverse group of water users and stakeholders in the Columbia River Basin.

Jonathan YoderThe project will focus on how seasonal water availability forecasting,  satellite-based consumptive use monitoring, and computer-based smart market technology can be used in conjunction with changes in water use and water transfer rules to improve water use.  “This exciting project will help find ways to improve water use efficiency in agriculture, by focusing on how technology, water rights and regulation work together to make the most of available water for all of its social and environmental values,” said Jonathan Yoder, Lead Investigator and Director of the WRC.

For more, visit the WRC’s webpage for this project, and the WSU press release.