Lyndon Pease, a recent master’s degree graduate in civil engineering, is the first author of an article, titled “Estimating Sediment, Nitrogen and Phosphorous Loads from Pipestem Creek Watershed, North Dakota, Using AnnAGNPS.” The article was published online at dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2009.07.004 in the Computers and Geosciences Journal and will appear in print soon. Co-advisers Peter Oduor, assistant professor in geology and geography, and G. Padmanabhan, professor of civil engineering, are co-authors of the article.

Pease’s research is part of a comprehensive study by the North Dakota State Department of Health to investigate the impact of non-point source agricultural pollution on the quality of the state’s waters. Spatially distributed parameter models are commonly used for modeling non-point source pollution transport via surface runoff.

According to the authors, one of the difficulties of using distributed parameter models is lack of good quality input data on high resolution topographic details and spatially varying pollutant loading. Pease used the Annualized Agricultural Non-Point Source (AnnAGNPS) model for the study, developing a methodology that is expected to serve as a template for other watersheds in the comprehensive study.

Pease works for a civil engineering consulting firm in Fargo.