2026 Meeting
Tygart Lake State Park
April 20-22, 2026
1240 Paul E. Malone Road
Grafton, WV 26354
***Important Information***
April 1, 2026: Deadline for abstract submission.
April 5, 2026: Deadline for cabin/room reservation at Tygart Lake State Park (304)265-6144.
MEETING REGISTRATION
*Meeting registration includes lunch and dinner on April 21st.*
2026 WVAFS Chapter Membership – $10
CLICK HERE FOR FINALIZED COMPENDIUM
LODGING AND VENUE
A block of cabins and rooms have been reserved at Tygart Lake State Park in Grafton, WV. Please contact the lodge (304-265-6144) and let them know you are with the West Virginia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Rooms are guaranteed until April 5, 2026 if you plan to stay at the lodge or in one of the cabins.
SOCIAL
A social will take place on the evening of Tuesday, April 21st following a day of oral presentations and the chapter business meeting. Snack foods and beverages will be provided. Socials provide a great opportunity for networking amongst professionals and students. We hope that you will stay and enjoy the food and company.
WORKSHOPS
Two workshops will be held on the morning of Wednesday, April 22nd.
FREE REGISTRATION – CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
Fish Identification/ID Discussion (Limited to 25 Participants)
Instructors: Nathaniel Owens (West Virginia Division of Natural Resources) and Stuart Welsh (USGS – West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit)
In this workshop, participants will receive hands-on training on fixing, preserving, and identifying the Mid- Atlantic darter fauna found on both sides of the Appalachian Divide. If possible, students should bring regional identification keys to actively participate in the training session. Also, it is recommended that participants bring problematic/unknown specimens to the workshop so that the instructors may confirm their identification. Participants are welcome to bring jars, or other transportation vessels to take some reference/learning specimens with them at the end of the workshop.
If possible, participants should bring dissection scopes, light sources, forceps, and canned air (computer duster). Some dissection scopes will be available for use but likely not enough for everyone.
Mussel Identification (Limited to 25 Participants)
Instructor: Kevin Eliason, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
West Virginia has 64 extant species of freshwater mussels, of which twelve are currently federally listed and two more are currently proposed for listing. This workshop will cover mussel life history and the current status, challenges, and opportunities for freshwater mussels in West Virginia. While mussel ID cannot be learned in a single session, the fundamentals of mussel shell physiology and identification will be covered. Shell examples will be provided for the hands-on portion.
Chapter Business
If you are not currently on the WV Chapter listserv for email notifications, please add your name and contact information to the WVAFS Listserv Sign-Up Sheet.