Wicomico River (Maryland eastern shore)

The Wicomico River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the eastern shore of Maryland. Approximately 33 mi (53 km) long, it drains an area of low marshlands and farming country in the middle Delmarva Peninsula. Its name derives from the words "wicko mekee", meaning "a place where houses are built," apparently referring to an Indian town on the banks. The river is one of two in Maryland with this same name, along with the Wicomico River (a tributary of the Potomac River) in south central Maryland.

It rises in northern Wicomico County, along the Delaware state line, and flows generally southwest, through Salisbury, its head of navigation. It enters Monie Bay on the eastern edge of the Chesapeake Bay approximately 15 mi (24 km) southwest of Salisbury. The lower 20 mi (32 km) of the river form a tidal estuary.

The gentle free-flowing river is a popular destination for recreational canoeing and kayaking, as well as recreational fishing. Barge traffic on the river has made Salisbury a primary shipping points for goods on the Delmarva Peninsula over the last several centuries. Two automobile cable ferries cross the river at the at Whitehaven and Upper Ferry.

External links

* [http://www.skipjack.net/le_shore/heritage/pages/wicomico.html The Wicomico River]