8-hour days: 95 %
10-hour days: 4%
>10-hour days: 1%
Data analysis and report writing: 20%
H2O Monitoring: 25%
GIS Mapping: 5%
Education & Outreach: 10%
Habitat Surveys: 15%
Data Entry: 10%
Commuting To/From Field Sites: 5%
Misc. field work prep (e.g., field permission, recon): 10%
Native Planting: 0%
Invasive Plant Removal: 0%
Volunteer Management: 0%
The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board) is a regulatory agency with the mission to preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of our water resources for the protection of the environment and public health. CMs are housed in the Planning Division, which is tasked with developing water quality plans to identify sources of pollutants and actions to improve conditions. CMs serve a valuable role of collecting and analyzing non-regulatory water data that cannot be collected without their support. They also serve a unique role through their WOW and WAVE interactions that will help educate the local community about important water quality issues.
CMs will work on a wide array of watershed related projects that involve both field work and data analyses. This includes the following projects:
Nutrient analysis at high quality reference streams
Large woody debris assessment in Pescadero Creek
Wetland habitat and water quality monitoring in Coastal Marin
Nutrient and sediment sampling in the Petaluma River watershed to inform a riparian climate change study
Continuous water quality monitoring and nutrient study in Lake Merritt in Oakland
Pathogen analysis in the Napa River watershed
Harmful algal bloom assessments in recreational waterbodies
The Water Board takes a very hands-on approach to mentorship. There are two Mentors and one supervisor at the Water Board. The CMs will primarily work with the Mentors but they will also work on projects managed by other Water Board staff. The CMs will meet with the Mentors weekly or bi-weekly to discuss project updates, overall well-being, WSP-required projects, and career development. The Mentors have an open-door policy and are available for last minute check-in meetings, as needed. Water Board staff have hybrid work schedules, and CMs have the option to tele- serve in accordance with WSP's policy. When not in the field, CMs will work a minimum of three days a week in the downtown Oakland office where they will be joined by at least one of the Mentors. CMs will be trained directly by the Placement Site’s Mentors and after a period of training, they often work more independently on office and field projects. In the past, CMs have worked with other Water Board staff (non-official WSP Mentors) in the office on projects
that pique their interest. Besides training Corpsmembers on Water Board related work, the Placement Site’s Mentors provide mentorship regarding professional development for post-WSP life.
The Water Board is unique in that it provides its CMs with rewarding and diverse experiences that serve to protect urban to rural watersheds, but also to contribute to their professional development. The range of job duties and professional backgrounds at this site is broad. CMs learn a wide variety of skills and work in proximity with professionals with different backgrounds and expertise that will be valuable when they pursue future job possibilities in government, NGO, and/or consulting sectors. As such, most CMs have found their next job through contacts made working at the Water Board. CMs get hands on training and experience at the Water Board by collecting and analyzing a wide range of field data, including qualitative and quantitative stream habitat and water quality data This site is also unique in that CMs can collaborate on office projects that are aligned with their personal interests and career goals. The Water Board also strongly encourages CMs to have short collaborations with affiliated agencies and organizations to gain additional experiences and skills (e.g., storm water, wetland, and fish monitoring). CMs can also partake in multiple training opportunities to develop skills of interest (e.g., GIS, water policy, statistics) and the Water Board provides dedicated travel funds to attend relevant trainings, workshops, or conferences.
GIS skills
Statistical analyses
Data management skills