TEMPORARY River Watch YIP Intern – Denver, Colorado

State of Colorado; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 22,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Parking is free

Retirement benefits included

Job summary

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is seeking an intern to support the River Watch program, a statewide water-quality monitoring effort. The role involves field sampling, data management, and coordinating volunteer activities across multiple sites in Colorado.

The position is office-based with some lab/field work; you will work 40 hours per week, October 19, 2026 to April 16, 2027, at a pay rate of $19.25 per hour.

Qualifications

• Must have transportation to 6060 Broadway, Denver office.
• Must be able to travel around the state for specific projects including Fort Collins lab work.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.
• Must be able to lift 40–50 lbs. of liquids and move equipment.
• Must be willing to work in a laboratory environment.
• Available to work 40 hours per week 8 am–5 pm, Mon–Fri.
• Interest in stream ecology, chemistry, biology, hydrology, and water policy.
• Willing to learn data management and analysis in R-Studio, ArcGIS, MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Attend the River Watch training.
• Data management, analysis, and scientific data communication.
• Update data visualization tools in R Studio and ESRI StoryMap; develop data stories for volunteers and decision makers.
• Help optimize data collection and analysis for hatcheries and statewide aquatics.
• Assist volunteers via email, in-person, and site visits.
• Maintain laboratory equipment and assist with analysis.
• Update SOPs and assist with presentations and events.
• Expand River Watch data collection in State Parks.

Skills

Data analysis

R Studio

ArcGIS

Excel

Data management

Lab work

Volunteer coordination

Public speaking

Tools

MS Office

Google Suite

Job description

THIS IS A TEMPORARY POSITION (6 MONTHS) - PAYING $19.25 PER HOUR, 40 HOURS/WEEK

EMPLOYMENT STARTS 10/19/2026 THROUGH 04/16/2027.

The mission of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources is to develop, preserve, and enhance the state's natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future citizens and visitors. In an effort to build diversity and inclusion we welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE (CPW)

Our Mission is to perpetuate the wildlife resources of the state, to provide a quality state parks system, and to provide enjoyable and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities that educate and inspire current and future generations to serve as active stewards of Colorado's natural resources. Colorado Parks and Wildlife

DESCRIPTION OF JOB

The Colorado River Watch program is a statewide volunteer water quality monitoring program managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and an external non-profit vendor, River Science. Together we support 120 groups statewide including middle and high school groups as well as adult volunteers who collect monthly surface water samples for alkalinity, hardness, pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature and metals from their local rivers. River Watch has a set annual cycle to gather and deliver water quality and macroinvertebrate data and support its volunteers. This position would be exposed to many aspects of this cycle including field sample collection, laboratory analysis, training volunteers, assisting with volunteer management, program presentations, data analysis, entry and validation, management and filing, laboratory sample preparation and verification, equipment inventory and maintenance, sample processing, site visits, report writing and some Clean Water Act policy work.

The primary responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Attend the annual River Watch training.
• Data management, analysis, and scientific data communication
• Update data visualization tools in R Studio (R Shiny App) and an ESRI online storymap, as well as develop other content to deliver data and data stories to volunteers and decision makers.
• Help optimize a program for collecting and analyzing baseline water quality data from hatcheries
• Help optimize a program for collecting and analyzing water quality data with our statewide aquatic biologists
• Assist volunteers (through email correspondence, in-person, and during site visits)
• Maintain laboratory equipment and assist with laboratory analysis
• Assist with water quality research projects
• Update standard operating procedures where needed
• Assist with volunteer management, program presentations, and event planning
• Help expand River Watch water quality data collection in State Parks

In addition to these programmatic needs, the intern will have the opportunity to create other specific experiences relevant to their career goals, both within CPW and externally. A plan with measurable results will be developed that will guide the intern’s workload, evaluation, and achievements. We are looking for someone interested in a career in natural resources, including watershed management, wildlife, hydrology, working with volunteers, laboratory analysis, and data and information communication. We hope this experience will help the intern build a skill set for a related career in natural resources or further studies in an undergraduate or graduate program.

This position will be mostly office-based with a strong focus on data management and scientific data communication. There will be some lab and field work, but that will not be the primary focus of this position.

Pay is biweekly, starting after the first two weeks of work and ending two weeks after the last two-week pay period. No official holidays, leave time, or health care benefits come with this position; retirement benefits are included. Parking is free and readily available.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, SUBSTITUTIONS, CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT & APPEAL RIGHTS

• Must have transportation to/from work location at 6060 Broadway, Denver office, where supervision, equipment, and support reside.
• Must be able to travel around the state for specific projects as they arise, including periodic lab work at our Fort Collins office.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.
• Must be physically able to lift (40-50 lbs. of liquids), carry, or move equipment, both in and out of the field, or for our annual River Watch training.
• Must be willing to work in a laboratory environment.
• Be able to work 40 hours per week in the office between 8 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday.
• Demonstrate an interest and acuity for stream ecology, chemistry, biology, hydrology, hydraulics, fisheries management, and water policy.
• Demonstrate experience or willingness to learn computer programs and assist with data management, analyses, presentation development, and report writing, specifically in R-Studio, ArcGIS, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the Google Suite.
• Willing to teach others watershed science principles, River Watch Protocols, and learn a diverse spectrum of field methodologies, and be able and willing to present on behalf of the River Watch program to a diversity of different audiences.
• Must enjoy working with people.
• Be resourceful and able to work independently while also contributing to a team.
• Attention to detail, particularly as it relates to: 1) tedious tasks, such as field data collection, laboratory sample preparation and analysis, equipment cleaning, and data entry, and 2) high-level critical thinking tasks.
• Must be available on these dates: Must be able to begin work Monday, October 19th, 2026, and end Friday, April 16th, 2027, working 40 hours/week. Must be available for a 5-day in-person training departing Tuesday, October 27th, 2026, and returning Saturday, October 31st, 2026. Transportation, food, and lodging will be provided.

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

The Department of Natural Resources is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, Anna Kargobai-Murray, at [e-mail] or call 303-866-2667 x8647.

ADAAA Accommodations

Any person with a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) may be provided a reasonable accommodation upon request to enable the person to complete an employment assessment. To request an accommodation, please contact Anna Kargobai-Murray at [e-mail] at least five business days before the date that any accommodation will be required to allow us to evaluate your request and prepare for the accommodation. You may be asked to provide additional information, including medical documentation, regarding functional limitations and type of accommodation needed. Please ensure that you have this information available well in advance of the assessment date.

E-Verify employer:

The Department of Natural Resources participates in E-Verify in accordance with the program's Right to Work for all newly-hired employees. Employees are queried through the electronic system established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify identity and employment eligibility. You may complete section 1 of the I-9 form upon your acceptance of a job offer letter, but no later than your first day of employment and in addition, on your first day, but no later than the third day, you are required to submit original documents to verify your eligibility to work in the U.S.

Toll–Free Applicant Support - Technical Help

If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV at 855-524-5627, Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time). Helpful hints: if you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application first, ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files and second, close the document before you attempt to upload (attach) it.

The Human Resources Office will be unable to assist with these types of technical issues.

Pursuant to the DNR-120 Fleet and Driving Standards Administrative Directive, any worker who will be expected to drive a State-owned vehicle is responsible for maintaining a safe driving record and a valid driver license prior to driving any State-owned vehicle.

To be compliant with the new fleet vehicle policy, Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) will be pulled for review for workers who:

• Have an assigned State fleet vehicle
• Are required to operate a vehicle as part of the position
• Utilize a State fleet vehicle as a pool vehicle