Freese and Nichols Adds George Fowler As Stormwater Senior Project Manager
Freese and Nichols, Inc., continues adding depth to its Stormwater practice with the addition of George Fowler, PE, MS, a senior project manager focusing on water flow and river engineering to mitigate flooding.
Fowler, based in Austin, will lead projects across Texas and the southeastern United States.
During more than a decade of specializing in water resources engineering, he has managed and served as technical lead for projects involving mitigation of flood hazards, erosion hazards and water quality pollution sources. He is well-versed in data collection, hydraulic modeling, design and construction document development.
His experience and education in engineering, geomorphology and biology have been used to effectively complete flood hazard mitigation analysis and design, natural channel design stream stabilization and the replacement of aquatic passage barriers (perched culverts, dams, etc.). His approach focuses on using hydraulic modeling and stream investigations to develop solutions that mirror natural processes to solve complex surface water problems.
Fowler’s work on preflood hazard mitigation planning and disaster response damage assessments provides an integrated understanding of FEMA regulations and floodplain mapping management. He is proficient in HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, HydroCAD, ArcGIS and extensions, AutoCAD Civil 3D and 2D hydraulic modeling software.
His projects feature plan form based and empirically based sediment transport and Large Woody Material (LWM) with an emphasis on benefiting the aquaitc ecosyystem. Early in his career, he worked on landslide control and erosion control programs during a three-year United States Peace Corps posting in Nepal.
Fowler said his experience abroad “exposed me to how simple engineering approaches can mitigate large problems,” and that helped shape his subsequent work.
Stormwater Group Manager Krista Bethune Melnar said Fowler’s background “fits seamlessly with Freese and Nichols’ practice of applying science and engineering to develop the most cost-effective, sustainable flood mitigation design plans for our clients and communities.”
Fowler received a Master of Science in Civil Engineering: Water Resources from the University of New Hampshire and a Bachelor of Science from Stonehill College in Massachusetts.