PDF of Full Job Posting
Full Irrigator Outreach Specialist Job Posting:
Job Title: Montana Missouri River Irrigator Outreach Specialist.
Location: Culbertson, MT with remote office options.
Wage: Minimum of $20/hour and increasing depending on experience.
Funding Provided By: Roosevelt County Conservation District and the Missouri River Conservation Districts Council.
Position Type: Short-term, full-time.
Application Deadline: Open till filled.
Application Information: Please submit your cover letter and resume to mrcdc@macdnet.org. If you have questions, you may call 406-454-0056.
Position Overview:
In Montana, the Missouri River ceased to free flow in 1934 when the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began construction of the Fort Peck Dam. A couple of the original purposes of the Dam were flood control and irrigation. Since then, 160 private irrigation intakes serving 40,000 acres and two tribal irrigation projects serving an additional 20,000 acres have been completed that residents have come to rely on, taking the place of riparian acreage that was flooded above the Dam. The Fort Peck Tribes Rural and Municipal water supply that serves the four counties below the Dam also rely on the Missouri River.
The objective of the Fort Peck Dam Test Flows are to try and avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of the pallid sturgeon from the USACE actions on the Missouri River, complying with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirement for the operation of the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System.
To assist pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment the test flows are meant to mimic historical unregulated flows between the Fort Peck Dam and Lake Sakakawea. On November 12, 2021 an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Record of Decision (ROD) was signed by the USACE that began the implementation of the test flows when conditions were met. This year, 2024, was the first of three to five test flows implemented with more coming over the next five to fifteen years when conditions are met again as that is the ESA requirement.
The test flows will investigate responses of pallid sturgeon adults and survival of young fish to flow, temperature, and turbidity and validate assumptions in the EIS about human consideration effects.
Human consideration effects are where this job position comes into play. While the USACE has a lot of monitoring in place, we are needing to reach out to irrigators individually to gather information regarding this year’s test flow.
Role and Responsibilities:
As a result of the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Peck Dam Test Flow, impact data to pump sites and crops needs to be gathered from irrigators along the Missouri River. This will include personal outreach to farmers in Valley, McCone, Roosevelt and Richland Counties in Montana who irrigate along the Missouri River.
The successful applicant will be responsible for contacting all irrigators, talking with them in the field and whenever possible, visiting pump site locations and fields to help document the impacts from the Test Flows. Outreach to the Fort Peck Tribes regarding their impacts and irrigation is also needed as part of this surveying effort.
Qualifications and Requirements:
- An understanding of farming and irrigation is important when conveying impacts and economic losses due to the Test Flow. There will not be time to train on this in the short time frame, so having this knowledge already is needed.
- Field work will be expected, including during inclement weather and the ability to drive on challenging roads.
- Ability to photograph, upload, and share photos taken of pump sites and their surrounding landscapes, including any channel changes, erosion, and sand bar concerns.
- Travel with personal vehicle will be required. The successful applicant must be licensed to drive and have vehicle insurance. Mileage will be reimbursed at Montana’s state per diem rate of $0.67/mile.
Preferred Skills:
- Being a good communicator is important. This includes being able to talk over the phone and in person.
- A working knowledge and ability to create GPS coordinates to help with documentation of impacts at pump sites and other locations as necessary.
- The ability to write legibly for when notes are being taking while talking with irrigators.
- The successful applicant needs to be a self-starter as there will not be a lot of direct supervision for completing these tasks.
Employment Disclaimer: This job description is not a contract – management reserves the right to change its contents at any time. This organization complies with the guidelines set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, or disability. This organization is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
MRCDC has stayed involved throughout the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Peck Dam test flow proposal process. On November 12, 2021 the Record of Decision was signed to implement Alternative 1 Test Flows at the Fort Peck Dam when conditions are met. If this occurs, devastating impacts will occur in the region. Please view the Environmental Impact Statement and other impacts one-pager summary that we have created that lists many of our concerns with Test Flow implementation. This one-pager summary also has condensed information of what the Test Flow Alternative 1 entails. If interested, here is the full Final Environmental Impact Statement, and MRCDC’s public comment letter we had submitted May 24, 2021 regarding the draft Environmental Impact Statement.
We are currently working on next steps regarding the Test Flows, including how to decrease damages that could occur and other mitigation measures. If you have questions please reach out to Molly, mrcdc@macdnet.org.
Here is a list of important documents. Please click on each to view.
MRCDC Letter to Senator Tester and Senator Hoeven_3.1.24
USACE Stakeholder Engagement meeting summary_2.27.24
MRCDC Mitigation Letter to Senator Tester_3.28.23
MRCDC Test Flow Presentation
Sidney Sugars’ Test Flow Presentation
MRCDC’s Two-Pager Summary_January 2022
Record of Decision_November 12, 2021
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)_September 2021
MRCDC’s public comment letter on draft EIS_May 24, 2021