We’re Hiring! Water Quality Summer Interns.

2026 Summer Water Quality Internship

Location: Boise, Idaho
Status: Paid Internship

Position Description & Overview: Snake River Waterkeeper is seeking two Idaho-based Water Quality Program Interns during Summer 2026. Qualified candidates are preferably undergraduates majoring in Environmental Studies, Environmental and Occupational Health Studies, or a related field of study.

Our Water Quality Interns will spend the summer traveling to sites across the Snake River Basin (including tributaries on the Salmon and Clearwater rivers) to collect and analyze water samples at popular recreation sites throughout Idaho and Eastern Oregon.

Since 2014, Snake River Waterkeeper has maintained a regular sampling and monitoring schedule at over 25 sites along the Snake and its tributaries for parameters including temperature, dissolved oxygen, and total dissolved solids. Data are evaluated, submitted to states for reporting, and uploaded by our interns to Snake River Basin sites on the Waterkeeper Alliance’s international SWIM Guide — a free online and smartphone app that alerts users to pollution levels and safety considerations where they recreate. In 2025, our Snake River Basin sites were visited over 25,000 times.

Applicants must have a vehicle and valid driver’s license; Interns will at times be required to walk on rough, uneven surfaces and must be comfortable wading into bodies of water.

Desired Qualifications & Skills:

• Motivated to further develop skills applicable to a career path in environmental studies and conservation
• A keen interest in gaining a deeper understanding of water quality issues and experiential knowledge of sampling methods, pollution sources and controls, local community engagement, and natural resource accountability
• Enjoyment of the outdoors, outdoor recreation, and passionate about preserving and advocating for free and open public access to public lands and waterways
• A basic understanding of water quality standards and the Clean Water Act
• Proficiency in creating social media content a plus, but not required

Pay: $18 per hour, for a period of 10 weeks. Position not to exceed 15 hours per week. Interns are paid bi-weekly, with mileage reimbursement dispensed per pay period with submitted proof of mileage.

Start Date: Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day)

End Date: Monday, September 7 (Labor Day)

To Apply: Submit a cover letter, resume and current transcript to Executive Director Buck Ryan at buck@snakeriverwaterkeeper.org with the subject line “2026 Water Quality Internship.” Please combine all documents into a single PDF attachment titled “Last Name, First Name, Internship.”

Application Deadline: March 15, 2026. SRW will review applications submitted before the deadline on a rolling basis. All applicants will be informed of SRW’s decision to move ahead with or decline their application by May 1, 2026.

About Us: Snake River Waterkeeper is an environmental advocacy group with the mission of “applying science and law to protect, restore and sustain waters of the Snake River Basin, and to support clean water access and advocacy in underserved communities worldwide.” We bring winning litigation and shepherd inclusive community projects to improve water quality across the entire Snake River Basin. SRW works to protect native fish populations and ensure safe drinking and recreational water is a reality for all people groups residing in all six states with water draining into the Snake River Basin—now, and for future generations.

Snake River Waterkeeper is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation.