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Justin K Reale

Justin Reale is the Surface Water Team Supervisor at the Oregon Water Science Center.

Since 2023, Justin has served as a supervisory hydrologist at the Oregon Water Science Center, following prior work at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District from 2009 to 2023. He oversees, implements, and collaborates on a broad spectrum of ecological, water quality, and hydrologic research, partnering with federal, state, local agencies, and tribal organizations. His experience spans both fluvial and lentic ecosystems, encompassing investigations into water quantity and quality, sediment and nutrient dynamics, sediment and mercury transport during reservoir drawdowns, landscape-scale disturbances (such as wildfire and river intermittency), and studies of whole-system metabolism. Currently, Justin is engaged in several water quality and hydrologic projects across Oregon and Washington, notably in the Willamette, Deschutes, and Klamath basins and the Lake Washington Ship Canal. In addition to his work in the Pacific Northwest, he has also conducted research in arid and semi-arid river environments of the southwestern United States.

Professional Experience

  • Supervisory Hydrologist, Surface Water Team, Oregon Water Science Center, 2023 - present

  • Supervisory Hydrologist, Environmental Engineering Section, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District, 2021 - 2023

  • Biologist, Environmental Engineering Section, U.S. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District, 2009 - 2021

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D. Aquatic Ecology, 2018, University of New Mexico
          Dissertation: Evaluating the effects of catastrophic wildfire on water quality, whole-stream metabolism, and fish communities

  • B.S. Biology, 2009, University of New Mexico

  • Professional Hydrologist (Wisconsin - No. 203 -111)

Honors and Awards

  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Committee on Water Quality (2020 - 2023) 

Science and Products

Post-wildfire water quality and aquatic ecosystem response in the U.S. Pacific Northwest: science and monitoring gaps Post-wildfire water quality and aquatic ecosystem response in the U.S. Pacific Northwest: science and monitoring gaps

An increase in the occurrence of large, high severity wildfires in the western Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA, has created an urgent need for science to better inform forest management and policy decisions to maintain source water quality in the region. The western PNW faces similar challenges to other regions with shifting wildfire regimes and large population centers reliant on surface...
Authors
Sara Wall, Jana E. Compton, Ashley A. Coble, Beth M. Haley, Jiajia Lin, Allison Myers-Pigg, Justin Kevin Reale, Katie Wampler, Allison Swartz, Kevan Moffett, Kevin D. Bladon, Kurt Carpenter, Heejun Chang, Junjie Chen, David Donahue, Chris S. Eckley, Amanda K. Hohner, Peter M. Kiffney, Lorrayne Miralha, Peter Regier, Joshua Seeds, Mark River
By
Oregon Water Science Center

Suspended-sediment transport and water management, Jemez Canyon Dam, New Mexico, 1948–2018 Suspended-sediment transport and water management, Jemez Canyon Dam, New Mexico, 1948–2018

Construction and operation of dams provide sources of clean drinking water, support large-scale irrigation, generate hydroelectricity, control floods, and improve river navigation. Yet these benefits are not without cost. Dams affect the natural flow regime, downstream sediment fluxes, and riverine and riparian ecosystems. The Jemez Canyon Dam in New Mexico was constructed in 1953 by the...
Authors
Jeb E. Brown, Anne-Marie Matherne, Justin K. Reale, K. E. Miltenberger
By
Water Resources Mission Area, New Mexico Water Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Reale, J.K., Archdeacon, T.P., González-Pinzón, R., Summers, B.M., Segura, M.V., Joseph, E.A., Pittenger, D.W., Parmenter, R.R., Grace, M.R., Dahm, C.N. and Van Horn. D.J. (2026) Wildfire variably impacted stream water quality and gross primary production in adjacent, similarly burned, montane watersheds. Front. Water 8:1779046. doi: 10.3389/frwa.2026.1779046
Summers, B.M., Hall Jr, R.O., Reale, J.K., Joseph, E., Stone, M.C. and Van Horn, D.J., (2025). Broad‐scale climate patterns combined with local flow and turbidity disturbances structure the seasonality of gross primary production in an aridland river. Limnology and Oceanography, 70(11), pp.3186-3201.
Nichols, J., Joseph, E., Kaphle, A., Tunby, P., Rodriguez L., Khandelwal A., Reale, J., et al. Longitudinal propagation of aquatic disturbances following the largest wildfire recorded in New Mexico, USA. Nat Commun 15, 7143 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51306-9
Archdeacon, T. P., Gonzales, E. J., Reale, J. K., Henry, E. B., & Grant, J. D. (2023). Effects of seining effort on estimates of fish diversity in a sand-bed river. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 195(5), 538.
Van Horn, D. J., Reale, J. K., & Archdeacon, T. P. (2022). Water quality in three potential drought refuges in an arid-land river: Assessing habitat suitability for at-risk fish species. Knowledge & Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, 423, 7.
Reale, J. K., Archdeacon, T. P., Van Horn, D. J., Gonzales, E. J., Dudley, R. K., Turner, T. F., & Dahm, C. N. (2021). Differential effects of a catastrophic wildfire on downstream fish assemblages in an aridland river. Aquatic Ecology, 55, 483–500.
Gonzalez-Pinzon, R., Ball, G., Regier, P., Reale, J. K., & Van Horn, D. J. (2021). Wildfires increasingly impact western US fluvial networks. AGU Fall Meeting 2021.
Ball, G., Regier, P., González-Pinzón, R., Reale, J., & Van Horn, D. (2021). Wildfires increasingly impact western US fluvial networks. Nature Communications, 12(1), 2484.
Archdeacon, T. P., Diver, T. A., & Reale, J. K. (2020). Fish rescue during streamflow intermittency may not be effective for conservation of Rio Grande silvery minnow. Water, 12(12), 3371.
Archdeacon, T. P., Reale, J. K., Gonzales, E. J., & Grant, J. D. (2020). Effects of seining effort and site length on variability of small-bodied fish catch-rates in a sand-bed river. River Research and Applications, 00, 00.
Archdeacon, T., & Reale, J. (2020). No quarter: Lack of refuge during flow intermittency results in catastrophic mortality of an imperiled minnow. Freshwater Biology.
Regier, P. J., González-Pinzón, R., Van Horn, D. J., Reale, J. K., Nichols, J., & Khandewal, A. (2020). Water quality impacts of urban and non-urban arid-land runoff on the Rio Grande. Science of The Total Environment, 729, 138443.
Thompson, V. F., Marshall, D. L., Reale, J. K., & Dahm, C. N. (2019). The effects of a catastrophic forest fire on the biomass of submerged stream macrophytes. Aquatic Botany, 152, 36–42.
Reale, J. K. (2018). Evaluating the Effects of Catastrophic Wildfire on Water Quality, Whole-stream Metabolism and Fish Communities [PhD Thesis]. The University of New Mexico.
Dahm, C. N., Candelaria-Ley, R. I., Reale, C. S., Reale, J. K., & Van Horn, D. J. (2015). Extreme water quality degradation following a catastrophic forest fire. Freshwater Biology, 60(12), 2584–2599.
Reale, J. K., Van Horn, D. J., Condon, K. E., & Dahm, C. N. (2015). The effects of catastrophic wildfire on water quality along a river continuum. Freshwater Science, 34(4), 1426–1442.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

bridge sample training

Nutrient and Sediment Loading to Upper Klamath Lake

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) computes time-series of total phosphorus (TP) and suspended-sediment concentrations (SSC) and loads entering Upper Klamath Lake using continuous turbidity sensor records, discrete TP and SSC data, and continuously computed streamflow.
By
Oregon Water Science Center
Nutrient and Sediment Loading to Upper Klamath Lake

Nutrient and Sediment Loading to Upper Klamath Lake

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) computes time-series of total phosphorus (TP) and suspended-sediment concentrations (SSC) and loads entering Upper Klamath Lake using continuous turbidity sensor records, discrete TP and SSC data, and continuously computed streamflow.
Learn More
boat with onboard crane goes through the blue canal waterway on a clear sky day

Lake Washington Ship Canal Sustainable Rivers Project

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are refining a water quality model to better understand temperature and salinity dynamics in the Lake Washington Ship Canal. This effort is supported by the Sustainable Rivers Program, a partnership between the USACE and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
By
Oregon Water Science Center, Washington Water Science Center
Lake Washington Ship Canal Sustainable Rivers Project

Lake Washington Ship Canal Sustainable Rivers Project

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are refining a water quality model to better understand temperature and salinity dynamics in the Lake Washington Ship Canal. This effort is supported by the Sustainable Rivers Program, a partnership between the USACE and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
Learn More
High bridge stretches across a large expanse of water. Grey bridge pillars hold up the blue-green steel bridge

Bridge scour monitoring in Oregon

The U.S. Geological Survey is working with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to revolutionize bridge scour monitoring using real-time sonar data collection and bathymetric surveying to remotely monitor sites, collect long-term data for evaluation, and develop and improve hydraulic models that predict scour.
By
Oregon Water Science Center
Bridge scour monitoring in Oregon

Bridge scour monitoring in Oregon

The U.S. Geological Survey is working with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to revolutionize bridge scour monitoring using real-time sonar data collection and bathymetric surveying to remotely monitor sites, collect long-term data for evaluation, and develop and improve hydraulic models that predict scour.
Learn More

Science and Products

Post-wildfire water quality and aquatic ecosystem response in the U.S. Pacific Northwest: science and monitoring gaps Post-wildfire water quality and aquatic ecosystem response in the U.S. Pacific Northwest: science and monitoring gaps

An increase in the occurrence of large, high severity wildfires in the western Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA, has created an urgent need for science to better inform forest management and policy decisions to maintain source water quality in the region. The western PNW faces similar challenges to other regions with shifting wildfire regimes and large population centers reliant on surface...
Authors
Sara Wall, Jana E. Compton, Ashley A. Coble, Beth M. Haley, Jiajia Lin, Allison Myers-Pigg, Justin Kevin Reale, Katie Wampler, Allison Swartz, Kevan Moffett, Kevin D. Bladon, Kurt Carpenter, Heejun Chang, Junjie Chen, David Donahue, Chris S. Eckley, Amanda K. Hohner, Peter M. Kiffney, Lorrayne Miralha, Peter Regier, Joshua Seeds, Mark River
By
Oregon Water Science Center

Suspended-sediment transport and water management, Jemez Canyon Dam, New Mexico, 1948–2018 Suspended-sediment transport and water management, Jemez Canyon Dam, New Mexico, 1948–2018

Construction and operation of dams provide sources of clean drinking water, support large-scale irrigation, generate hydroelectricity, control floods, and improve river navigation. Yet these benefits are not without cost. Dams affect the natural flow regime, downstream sediment fluxes, and riverine and riparian ecosystems. The Jemez Canyon Dam in New Mexico was constructed in 1953 by the...
Authors
Jeb E. Brown, Anne-Marie Matherne, Justin K. Reale, K. E. Miltenberger
By
Water Resources Mission Area, New Mexico Water Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Reale, J.K., Archdeacon, T.P., González-Pinzón, R., Summers, B.M., Segura, M.V., Joseph, E.A., Pittenger, D.W., Parmenter, R.R., Grace, M.R., Dahm, C.N. and Van Horn. D.J. (2026) Wildfire variably impacted stream water quality and gross primary production in adjacent, similarly burned, montane watersheds. Front. Water 8:1779046. doi: 10.3389/frwa.2026.1779046
Summers, B.M., Hall Jr, R.O., Reale, J.K., Joseph, E., Stone, M.C. and Van Horn, D.J., (2025). Broad‐scale climate patterns combined with local flow and turbidity disturbances structure the seasonality of gross primary production in an aridland river. Limnology and Oceanography, 70(11), pp.3186-3201.
Nichols, J., Joseph, E., Kaphle, A., Tunby, P., Rodriguez L., Khandelwal A., Reale, J., et al. Longitudinal propagation of aquatic disturbances following the largest wildfire recorded in New Mexico, USA. Nat Commun 15, 7143 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51306-9
Archdeacon, T. P., Gonzales, E. J., Reale, J. K., Henry, E. B., & Grant, J. D. (2023). Effects of seining effort on estimates of fish diversity in a sand-bed river. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 195(5), 538.
Van Horn, D. J., Reale, J. K., & Archdeacon, T. P. (2022). Water quality in three potential drought refuges in an arid-land river: Assessing habitat suitability for at-risk fish species. Knowledge & Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, 423, 7.
Reale, J. K., Archdeacon, T. P., Van Horn, D. J., Gonzales, E. J., Dudley, R. K., Turner, T. F., & Dahm, C. N. (2021). Differential effects of a catastrophic wildfire on downstream fish assemblages in an aridland river. Aquatic Ecology, 55, 483–500.
Gonzalez-Pinzon, R., Ball, G., Regier, P., Reale, J. K., & Van Horn, D. J. (2021). Wildfires increasingly impact western US fluvial networks. AGU Fall Meeting 2021.
Ball, G., Regier, P., González-Pinzón, R., Reale, J., & Van Horn, D. (2021). Wildfires increasingly impact western US fluvial networks. Nature Communications, 12(1), 2484.
Archdeacon, T. P., Diver, T. A., & Reale, J. K. (2020). Fish rescue during streamflow intermittency may not be effective for conservation of Rio Grande silvery minnow. Water, 12(12), 3371.
Archdeacon, T. P., Reale, J. K., Gonzales, E. J., & Grant, J. D. (2020). Effects of seining effort and site length on variability of small-bodied fish catch-rates in a sand-bed river. River Research and Applications, 00, 00.
Archdeacon, T., & Reale, J. (2020). No quarter: Lack of refuge during flow intermittency results in catastrophic mortality of an imperiled minnow. Freshwater Biology.
Regier, P. J., González-Pinzón, R., Van Horn, D. J., Reale, J. K., Nichols, J., & Khandewal, A. (2020). Water quality impacts of urban and non-urban arid-land runoff on the Rio Grande. Science of The Total Environment, 729, 138443.
Thompson, V. F., Marshall, D. L., Reale, J. K., & Dahm, C. N. (2019). The effects of a catastrophic forest fire on the biomass of submerged stream macrophytes. Aquatic Botany, 152, 36–42.
Reale, J. K. (2018). Evaluating the Effects of Catastrophic Wildfire on Water Quality, Whole-stream Metabolism and Fish Communities [PhD Thesis]. The University of New Mexico.
Dahm, C. N., Candelaria-Ley, R. I., Reale, C. S., Reale, J. K., & Van Horn, D. J. (2015). Extreme water quality degradation following a catastrophic forest fire. Freshwater Biology, 60(12), 2584–2599.
Reale, J. K., Van Horn, D. J., Condon, K. E., & Dahm, C. N. (2015). The effects of catastrophic wildfire on water quality along a river continuum. Freshwater Science, 34(4), 1426–1442.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

bridge sample training

Nutrient and Sediment Loading to Upper Klamath Lake

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) computes time-series of total phosphorus (TP) and suspended-sediment concentrations (SSC) and loads entering Upper Klamath Lake using continuous turbidity sensor records, discrete TP and SSC data, and continuously computed streamflow.
By
Oregon Water Science Center
Nutrient and Sediment Loading to Upper Klamath Lake

Nutrient and Sediment Loading to Upper Klamath Lake

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) computes time-series of total phosphorus (TP) and suspended-sediment concentrations (SSC) and loads entering Upper Klamath Lake using continuous turbidity sensor records, discrete TP and SSC data, and continuously computed streamflow.
Learn More
boat with onboard crane goes through the blue canal waterway on a clear sky day

Lake Washington Ship Canal Sustainable Rivers Project

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are refining a water quality model to better understand temperature and salinity dynamics in the Lake Washington Ship Canal. This effort is supported by the Sustainable Rivers Program, a partnership between the USACE and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
By
Oregon Water Science Center, Washington Water Science Center
Lake Washington Ship Canal Sustainable Rivers Project

Lake Washington Ship Canal Sustainable Rivers Project

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are refining a water quality model to better understand temperature and salinity dynamics in the Lake Washington Ship Canal. This effort is supported by the Sustainable Rivers Program, a partnership between the USACE and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
Learn More
High bridge stretches across a large expanse of water. Grey bridge pillars hold up the blue-green steel bridge

Bridge scour monitoring in Oregon

The U.S. Geological Survey is working with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to revolutionize bridge scour monitoring using real-time sonar data collection and bathymetric surveying to remotely monitor sites, collect long-term data for evaluation, and develop and improve hydraulic models that predict scour.
By
Oregon Water Science Center
Bridge scour monitoring in Oregon

Bridge scour monitoring in Oregon

The U.S. Geological Survey is working with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to revolutionize bridge scour monitoring using real-time sonar data collection and bathymetric surveying to remotely monitor sites, collect long-term data for evaluation, and develop and improve hydraulic models that predict scour.
Learn More
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