POCOMOKE RIVER

The 'Pocomoke River' stretches approximately 73 miles (117 km) from southern Delaware through southeastern Maryland in the United States. At its mouth, the river is essentially an arm of Chesapeake Bay, whereas the upper river flows through a series of relatively inaccessible wetlands called the 'Pocomoke River Swamp', largely populated by Loblolly Pine, Red Maple and Baldcypress. The river is the easternmost river that flows into Chesapeake Bay and is reputed to be one of the deepest rivers for its width in the world.^[1] The name of the river, though traditionally interpreted as "dark (or black) water" by local residents, is now agreed by scholars of the Algonquian language family to be derived from the words for "broken (or pierced) ground," and likely referred to the farming practices of the surrounding indigenous peoples.^[2]

Contents

Description

History

See also

References

External links

Description

It rises in several forks in the Great Cypress Swamp in southern Sussex County, Delaware. From there, it flows south into Maryland, forming the boundary between Wicomico and Worcester counties and flowing through the swamps that are named for the river. At Porter's Crossing it turns southwest, broadening into a slow meandering river and flowing through the Pocomoke State Forest and Pocomoke River State Park. It flows past Pocomoke City, its head of navigation, and enters Pocomoke Sound on Chesapeake Bay on the state line between Maryland and Virginia.
It receives Nassawango Creek from the northwest approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of Snow Hill. It receives Dividing Creek from the north approximately 1 mile northeast of Pocomoke City.

History

In 1635 the mouth of the river was the scene of the first recorded battle in North America between Englishmen. The dispute was between the Virginia Company and Lord Baltimore, the proprietor of the Maryland Colony, over the rights to Kent Island at the mouth of the Chester River. The dispute was eventually resolved with a victory for the Maryland colonists.
In 1913, to provide better navigation, the mouth of the river was dredged by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
In the 1990s, a microorganism outbreak on the lower river, possibly ''Pfiesteria piscicida'', led to widespread fish kills and illness among the watermen who fish the river and Pocomoke Sound. The illnesses included lesions, respiratory problems, and memory loss. As a result, the lower river and Pocomoke Sound were closed to fishing, boating, and swimming. It is currently hypothesized that the microorganism was present before the outbreak but became toxic due to elevated concentrations of organic waste that had built up in this sprawling coastal plain river.^[3]

See also

★ List of Delaware rivers

★ List of Maryland rivers

References

1. Pocomoke River remains viable commerce route Deborah Gates
2. The Pocomoke River
3. Pocomoke River problems wreak havoc on watermen

External links

★ Pocomoke River State Park

★ Pocomoke State Forest

★ Univ. of Delaware: Pocomoke River Swamp