Quick Links              --------------------- Airport/Sky Harbor City Jobs Departments A-Z Garbage/Recycling Mayor/City Council Online Services Public Meetings Public Safety What's New Mailing Lists Calendar

	Discover Phoenix	Residents	Businesses	City Government	Employment	Youth & Seniors	e-Services	Home

Job Description

HYDROLOGIST

JOB CODE 20200

Effective Date:	4/97N

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:

The fundamental reason this classification exists is to provide technical expertise and administrative analyses to the Natural Resources Section of the City Attorney's Office to support litigation and policy formulation in all aspects of the City's water rights, water use, and water supply. This includes facilitating all parties' understanding of the technical and legal issues related to water resources. The incumbent is expected to work independently with little or no technical review, and exercise considerable judgment and initiative. Supervision may be exercised over computer programmers or other technical staff. The incumbent reports to the Assistant Chief Counsel and work is evaluated primarily on the basis of results achieved.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Evaluates and tests the accuracy of technical reports, methods, and analyses in the fields of hydrology, engineering, agriculture, water law, and hydro-geology;
• Evaluates technical and legal positions taken by third parties regarding the City's water rights, water use, and water supply, and prepares responses for the City Attorney's Office, City Manager's Office, and other City departments;
• Interacts with various federal, state, and local governmental agencies and communicates the City's positions and policies regarding Phoenix's water rights, water use, and water supply;
• Provides specialized technical expertise in support of the City's position in litigation, administrative hearings, or negotiations;
• Prepares testimony, affidavits, and objections to third parties' water rights claims;
• Participates in negotiations for settlement of water rights claims and recommends courses of action;
• Participates in negotiations of agreements for the use of water supplies by the City and recommends courses of action;
• Monitors, interprets, and evaluates existing and proposed administrative rules and regulations created by federal and state governmental agencies;
• Interprets and evaluates proposed legislation that may impact the City's water rights, water use, and water supply;
• Monitors, evaluates, and interprets water rights applications and use by water users upstream from the City;
• Attends Salt River Project's Reservoir Operating Committee non-public meetings on behalf of the City's Water Resources Management Advisor;
• Directs computer programmers in the creation of computer databases containing hydrologic, water use, water rights, water supply and engineering data, and Arizona Department of Water Resources Watershed Hydrographic Survey Reports and geographical information systems maps;
• Prepares technical reports and analyses;
• Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality seamless customer service.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Hydrology, hydro-geology, and agriculture.
• Water conservation and municipal and other water usage.
• Federal and state water law, court procedures, and administrative governmental agency regulations and processes.
• Native American water resource issues and claims.

Ability to:

• Use a personal computer, calculator, aerial photograph stereoscope, engineering scales, maps, and map templates.
• Evaluate and test the accuracy of technical reports, methods, and analyses.
• Interpret and evaluate legislation and administrative rules and regulations.
• Use data management software.
• Communicate orally in the English language with City employees and various federal, state, and local governmental agencies in person or using a telephone.
• Produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper English sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar.
• Work safely without presenting a direct threat to self or others.

Additional Requirements:

• Some positions require the performance of other essential and marginal functions depending upon work location, assignment or shift.
• Some positions require the use of personal or City vehicles on City business. Individuals must be physically capable of operating the vehicles safely, possess a valid driver's license and have an acceptable driving record. Use of a personal vehicle for City business will be prohibited if the employee does not have personal insurance coverage.

ACCEPTABLE EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:
Four years of experience in surface water hydrology, groundwater hydrology, geology, or agricultural economics, including experience in the General Stream Adjudication, and a bachelor's degree in hydrology or geology. Other combinations of experience and education that meet the minimum requirements may be substituted.