Modeling Jordan Lake (year 3)
Jim Bowen’s team is working to develop a nutrient response model for Jordan Lake. The model will be based upon monitoring data collected by state and federal agencies as well as the researchers who are part of the Jordan Lake Nutrient Management Study.
Dan Obenour’s team is developing a watershed and water quality model for Jordan Lake that will address how climate variability and land drive the loading of nutrients into the lake.
Jim Bowen | UNC Charlotte
Dr. Bowen is an Associate Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is also the Department’s graduate program director and associate department chair. Dr. Bowen’s expertise is in mechanistic water quality and eutrophication modeling, wastewater treatment plant modeling, greenhouse gas emission estimation, tracer methods to measure the mixing and flushing of surface water bodies, environmental fluid dynamics, and predicting harmful algal blooms. Dr. Bowen has previously developed multi-dimensional biogeochemical models of the Neuse River Estuary and the Lower Cape Fear River Estuary. Dr. Bowen received a B.S. degree in Botany from Duke University, and Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering from Vanderbilt University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dan Obenour | NC State University
Dan Obenour develops quantitative models that improve our ability to understand and manage complex environmental systems. His research has focused on the problems of hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen) and harmful algal blooms in numerous lakes, reservoirs, and coastal systems across the United States. He also has considerable experience in watershed and stream modeling, and in developing nonpoint-source pollution control plans. Dan’s research recognizes the inherent uncertainties involved with modeling complex human-natural systems, and thus emphasizes the advancement of probabilistic (e.g., Bayesian and geostatistical) modeling frameworks. He also aims to reduce model uncertainties through the assimilation of diverse sources of environmental information within these frameworks.
Dan received a PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2013. Prior to joining the NC State faculty, he was a lecturer and post-doctoral fellow, conducting research at the UM Water Center and the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. He also has several years of civil and environmental consulting experience in the private sector.