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Keith Meals (2019)

Keith began his career with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Conservation in 1986 after graduating from Auburn University with a background in aquaculture and fisheries management. Keith works in the northwest part of Mississippi as the project leader overseeing fisheries management activities. Keith and his project staff devote most of their management activities on the four U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) flood control reservoirs (FCRs) in their district: Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid, and Grenada Reservoirs. Popularly referred to as the "Arc of Slabs", these lakes enjoy a national reputation for producing high numbers of trophy crappie. Keith's in­depth knowledge of these fisheries and his management recommendations have been crucial as fishing pressure has increased as much as 400% in the last 10 years. Keith's pioneering use of minimum length limits and reduced bag limits for crappie were essential in developing and maintaining trophy crappie fisheries even with tremendous increases in fishing effort. During his career, Keith has collaborated with researchers from several universities. Keith worked with University of Mississippi personnel to culture the "Magnolia Crappie" which is a hybrid triploid crappie. This fish was developed for stocking small impoundments, and has been produced and stocked into smaller State Fishing Lakes and Community Assistance Ponds in Mississippi. Keith has also worked with researchers from Mississippi State University on multiple occasions. Several of the research projects have documented the impo1iant relationship between water levels and the availability of suitable spawning and nursery habitats and spo1i fish recruitment on the FCRs. This research will lead to discussions with the USACE about potential modifications to the rule curves of these reservoirs. Another project investigated the effects of single pole anglers and multiple pole anglers on crappie harvest rates and their impact on crappie populations in the large Corps of Engineers reservoirs. This research led to several innovative regulations including boat creel limits, high length limits, and fishing pole restrictions for crappie anglers. Keith has authored or coauthored 11 peer reviewed publications reporting results of these research projects. In addition to his outstanding work on the large flood control reservoirs, Keith worked closely with the USA CE Memphis District to have a weir installed in the outlet channel of Tunica Cutoff, a Mississippi River oxbow lake. The weir has increased water levels at critical times of the year improving habitat for many fish species. Creel surveys completed by Keith and his staff documented increases in catch (390%), effort (165%), and the economic value of the Tunica Cutoff fishery as a result of the improved habitat three years after installation of the weir. For his diligent efforts on this project, Keith received the prestigious Commander's Medallion award for Outstanding Achievement from the USACE. Not only does Keith work well with government agencies, he is also respected by and works closely with other stakeholders and the public. Keith was instrumental in the f01mation of the Grenada Lake Stakeholder group which was comprised of anglers, bait shop owners, other business leaders and the USA CE. The group worked together to better understand the water level and fisheries management issues surrounding the crappie fishery in Grenada Reservoir. Keith has also played an important role during the USACE reservoirs habitat days for the last 24 years, leading volunteers in the annual placement of brush piles. In addition, over the years Keith has helped hundreds of private landowners with pond management issues. Keith has been a member of the American Fisheries Society since 1987 and became a Certified Fisheries Scientist in 1996. He has made several oral presentations at the meetings of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Furthermore, in recognition of Keith's outstanding contributions to fisheries conservation, he received the 2014 Fisheries Biologist of the Year Award from the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Mississippi Wildlife Federation's Fisheries Conservationist of the Year award.