Pocomoke River
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The Pocomoke River is a river, approximately 73 mi (117 km) long, in southern Delaware and 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, populated by loblolly pine 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. The name of the river may come from an Algonquian language word for "dark water."
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[edit] 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 mi (1.6 km) southwest of Snow Hill. It receives Dividing Creek from the north approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) northeast of Pocomoke City.
[edit] 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 believed that the microorganism was present before the outbreak but became toxic due to elevated concentrations of organic waste that had built up in the slow-moving river.
