Volunteer
Summer
To apply for this job please visit www.volunteer.gov.
Job Description
FROM: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a09SJ00000IddVN
ADDRESS: 75819 Shortridge Hill Road Cottage Grove, Oregon, 97424
DATES: 4/1/2026 – 9/30/2026
DEPT: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Spend your summer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley!
The Willamette Valley Project is looking for highly motivated, energetic individuals or couples/ 2-person teams to help our keep USACE campgrounds and day-use parks looking beautiful throughout the summer. This position is located at Schwarz Campground located along the Row River and below Dorena Dam near Cottage Grove, Oregon, however, volunteers may be tasked with going to any of our 13 dams and lakes in the Willamette Valley to work on a project. If you like working in the outdoors, and maintaining recreation areas this could be a great opportunity for you!
Duties:
Daily work involves assisting in helping to keep our campgrounds and day-use parks looking sharp and beautiful. Duties may include, but are not limited to painting, general maintenance, operating small engine equipment (leaf blower, weed whacker, etc.), collecting recycling, cleaning firepits, maintaining trails, invasive week removal, tree pruning, and park beautification, along with performing other various duties (no toilet cleaning!) as assigned. Maintenance volunteers will spend most of their time volunteering around Dorena and Cottage Grove Lakes with opportunities to work at other lakes on the project. Volunteers will need to be able to use their personal vehicles to haul equipment and travel. Mileage reimbursement may be offered for work projects at other lakes.
Time Commitment & Hours:
Position starts in April 2026 and goes through mid-September 2026. Exact dates TBD. This position requires working a minimum of 32 hours/week per couple or 20 hours/week for an individual.
Amenities:
In exchange for volunteering the minimum hours listed above, we offer a full hook-up campsite (water, sewer, and electric service) for an RV or trailer within the volunteer village at Schwarz Campground. Volunteers must provide their own street legal, hard-sided RV or travel trailer and street legal transportation. Volunteers must have the ability to transport their RV or travel trailer for the duration of their service and must be able to remove RV or travel trailer without delay. WI-FI/internet is not provided but may be purchased through local companies. There is poor to non-existent cellular phone coverage within Schwarz Campground and around the lake. Volunteers will have access to free laundry machines at Schwarz.
About Schwarz Campground and Dorena Lake:
Dorena Reservoir and Schwarz Campground is set in the gentle rolling hills of the Calapooya Mountains, less than 10 miles from the quaint town of Cottage Grove, also known as the “Covered Bridge Capital of the West” and 30 miles south of Eugene, Oregon.
Schwarz Campground offers a mixture of nearly 90 single and double-family campsites and six group sites. Flush toilets, drinking water, showers and a dump station are provided. Younger campers love the park’s big playground.
Dorena Reservoir is a great location for boating, water skiing, fishing, and swimming. Nearby Baker Bay County Park offers a boat ramp and marina. USACE manages two, day-use parks – Harms Park and Bake Stewart Park – along Dorena Reservoir.
The Row River Trail stretches 14 miles from downtown Cottage Grove, past the Dorena Dam and along the entire north side of the lake. This popular path is open for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
Alcohol is strictly prohibited at all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lands and lease areas around Dorena and Cottage Grove Reservoirs including Schwarz and Pine Meadows Campgrounds. Volunteers are required to comply with this policy.
Other volunteer positions may be available.
To apply for this job please visit www.volunteer.gov.