Watershed Planning & Water Quality Intern – Summer 2026
Internship Project Description:
This intern will join the Watershed Planning team within the Water Resource Strategy division at Denver Water. The Watershed Planning Program is Denver Water’s source water protection program working to protect and improve Denver Water’s 2.5-million-acre network of raw water collection system watersheds. The internship will include a variety of field and office work. Primary responsibilities are:
· Visual observations and sample collection around the shoreline of Denver Water Reservoirs (~5 days/month).
· Visual observations and sample collection at stream sites in Denver Water’s watershed (~5 days/month).
· Data and risk analysis for all Denver Water reservoirs and potentially some flowing site data, as well as programmatic administrative tasks.
· Training will be provided for field and laboratory work.
· Safety is the top priority for Denver Water. Field work will be conducted in pairs and safety training and adherence to safety protocols is mandatory.
· Other tasks as assigned, which may include attending stakeholder meetings, coordinating meetings with internal and external partners, data assessment using Excel, Power BI, R, Shiny, Streamlit, Python, or other analytical tools, and writing assessment reports in Word.
· Collaborate with Denver Water GIS Staff to develop and maintain spatially based wildfire resilience project and wildfire ignition tracking tools and applications
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities to perform this intern project:
· Some knowledge of limnology, harmful algal blooms, surface water quality, wildfire, and/or water quality data assessments.
· Some knowledge of raw water systems
· Desire to work in field and office settings.
· Some knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) predictive modeling
· Ability/desire to work independently
· Safety mindset
· Attention to detail
· Familiarity with importance and adherence to quality control and quality assurance practices
· Good communications skills
Requirements
Education Requirements:
· Junior, Senior, or Graduate level student majoring in Systems Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, Watershed Science, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management or a related field with the desired knowledge and interests.
Experience Requirements
· Preferred knowledge of limnology, harmful algal blooms, surface water quality, wildfire, and/or water quality data assessments.
· Statistical analysis experience (Power BI, R, Python)
· Strong knowledge in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) predictive modeling
· Proficient in software including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
· Preferred experience with data assessment, research, and literature review
Preferred experience with environmental field work or basic laboratory analysis
· Preferred report or data visualization development
License Requirements:
· Current Colorado driver’s license “R”, with a satisfactory driving record required.
Pay: $20.00 per hour
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Denver, CO 80220
