Tonging and culling oysters
on the Wicomico

Library of Congress,
Prints & Photographs Division

Two rivers in Maryland are named Wicomico: one in Southern Maryland and one on the Eastern Shore by Salisbury. The name “Wicomico” is also given to a town in Southern Maryland and the county on the Eastern Shore where one of the rivers flows. The name is thought to be an American Indian word meaning “a pleasant place to live,” which may explain its repeated use. The name may also mean “a place where houses are built.”

Geography
The Wicomico River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is located in Wicomico county. It flows mainly southwest from its source near the Delaware state line for approximately 33 miles (53 km). It passes the town of Salisbury, located at the Wicomico River’s headwaters, and feeds into Monie Bay and the Tangier Sound, which eventually flow out into the Chesapeake Bay.

The Wicomico, along with the Nanticoke River, is part of the Nanticoke/Wicomico River Basin. A basin is an area of land that tilts down towards a central point. The waters in the basin are fed by the highest concentration of wetlands in Maryland. Much of the basin is less than 60 feet above sea level, putting it at the lowest elevation in Maryland. This can often lead to flooding.

The terrain is level, though there are waterfalls that have historically been used for mills. The water is tidal freshwater between Salisbury and Upper Ferry. It becomes somewhat salty (brackish) beyond that, with Monie Bay considered a shallow salt marsh.

Wildlife
The area around the Wicomico River, including Monie Bay, is known for a diverse number of birds, including osprey, bald eagles and a variety of waterfowl. Clams, as well as fiddler and blue crabs, are found along the shore. Bass, crappie, catfish, and white perch also live in its waters.

Industry and Tourism
The Wicomico flows through the western side of the town of Salisbury, established in 1732. The river and its centralized location have made Salisbury one of the economic and governmental centers of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Tugs and barges still traverse the Wicomico River from Salisbury out to the Chesapeake Bay.

The developed lands around the Wicomico are primarily used for agriculture. Much of it remains undeveloped wetland. Several trails can be found in the Wicomico State Demonstration Forest. Ten miles from Salisbury, the trails wind through the wetlands and forest surrounding the river and the Nanticoke/Wicomico River Basin. Hiking is allowed in these protected areas of the river and the surrounding wilderness, while the Wicomico and Monie Bay are popular spots for fishing and bird-watching.

The Eastern Shore’s Wicomico River is a study of things past and still ongoing. People on their way to Quantico, Salisbury, and Princess Anne crossed the Wicomico by taking the Whitehaven Ferry from village of Whitehaven across the Wicomico. The Whitehaven Ferry still runs to this day. Steamships also carried passengers as far as Baltimore. The Whitehaven Hotel, built in 1810, provided lodging for people traveling on the Wicomico River. By 1999, it was slated for destruction, but was saved through the efforts of Whitehaven residents and the Maryland Historic Trust. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and still serves guests.

Environmental Issues
In the twenty-first century, one major problem facing the Wicomico River and other waterways on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is pollution. In particular, the region houses over 6,000 chicken houses--and the waste they produce seeps from the groundwater into the region’s streams and rivers. The toxic levels of ammonia and other contaminants kill fish and wildlife and harm the ecosystem of the river. Another, more long-standing problem has been the silting of the river. Beginning in the seventeenth century, settlers cleared many of the nutrient-rich lands around Maryland’s waterways for agriculture. The continued deforestation of these lands over the years has resulted in an accumulation of silt in Maryland’s rivers. Conservation groups and government agencies like the Maryland Department of Natural Resources have programs aimed at reversing this damage in the Wicomico and other rivers throughout the state.