The Pocomoke River stretches approximately 66 miles (106 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 Great Cypress Swamp , largely populated by Loblolly Pine , Red Maple and Bald Cypress . The river is the easternmost river that flows into Chesapeake Bay. "Pocomoke" locally / ˈ p oʊ k oʊ m oʊ k / , though traditionally interpreted as "dark (or black) water" by local residents, is now agreed by scholars of the Algonquian languages to be derived from the words for "broken (or pierced) ground."
25-472: 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, flowing past the town of Snow Hill , and then through
50-521: A maximum thickness of about 3 kilometers (10,000 ft) in the vicinity of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina . Despite being previously overlooked in research, the Atlantic Coastal Plain is now identified as a global biodiversity hotspot, with over 1500 endemic plant species, and ~70% habitat loss. This endemism is particularly high in the longleaf pine savannas and woodlands , along with the other herbaceous and fire dependent ecosystems of
75-676: A national park in Delaware in 2004, the Cypress Swamp was not considered because of these concerns. The non-profit organization Delaware Wild Lands manages the swamp and has undertaken efforts to replant bald cypress trees there. The swamp is home to 73 breeding species of birds. The most abundant species in the swamp are the worm-eating warbler and brown-headed cowbird . The swamp also contains two regionally rare species, Swainson's warbler and black-throated green warbler . eBird has records of at least 94 species observed in
100-592: A victory for the Maryland colonists. During the colonial era, various landings grew up along the river, some of which became towns, while others faded into obscurity with the decline of water-borne transport. From the mouth of the river, they are (or were), on the right bank: the landings at Shelltown (called for many years Steamboat Landing) and Rehobeth (both in Somerset County ), Puncheon Landing, Stevens Ferry, Cottinghams Ferry, Milburn Landing (now in
125-739: Is a forested freshwater swamp located on the Delmarva Peninsula in south Delaware and southeastern Maryland , United States. As of 2000, it is the largest contiguous forest on the Delmarva Peninsula. Located at 38°29′N 75°18′W / 38.483°N 75.300°W / 38.483; -75.300 , it is one of the northernmost of the Bald Cypress swamps common in the southeastern United States ( Battle Creek Cypress Swamp in Calvert County , Maryland
150-483: Is about 135 km. The Coastal Plain of the United States includes all or portions of the states of Alabama , Arkansas , Delaware , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Maryland , Massachusetts , Mississippi , New Jersey , New York , North Carolina , Oklahoma , South Carolina , Rhode Island , Tennessee , Texas and Virginia . From the northeast, it begins on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and stretches to
175-458: Is characterized by barrier and drowned valley coasts. The coastal Atlantic plain features nearly continuous barriers interrupted by inlets , large embayments with drowned river valleys , and extensive wetlands and marshes . The Atlantic plain slopes gently seaward from the inland highlands in a series of terraces. This gentle slope continues far into the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico , forming
200-705: Is designated as a "Scenic" river by the State of Maryland. 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
225-462: Is slightly further north, but much smaller). It covers about 50 square miles (130 km ), mostly in southern Sussex County, Delaware . It is the source of the Pocomoke River , which flows south, and Pepper Creek , which flows northeast. The swamp once yielded much cypress timber. Through overharvesting and a disastrous peat fire in 1930, much of its vegetation was destroyed. One of
250-594: The Carolina Sandhills region as well as the Embayed and Sea Island physiographic provinces. The Atlantic Coastal Plain is sometimes subdivided into northern and southern regions, specifically the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic coastal plains. The Atlantic Plain is generally gently dipping undeformed Mesozoic and Cenozoic sediments, with the sedimentary wedge thickening toward the sea, reaching
275-577: The Pocomoke River State Forest and past Pocomoke River State Park . It then flows past Pocomoke City , and enters Pocomoke Sound on the 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. The Pocomoke River
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#1732772053234300-616: The Supreme Court of the United States determined that Pocomoke Sound was not covered by this famous interstate compact. 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
325-693: The Milburn Landing section of the Pocomoke River State Park ), and Adams Wharf, all in Worcester County . The landings on the left bank are (or were): Pitts Creek Landing in Accomack County, Virginia , Cedar Hall Landing, Stevens Landing (also called Stevens Ferry, which became in turn Newtown and then Pocomoke City ), Cottinghams Ferry, Mattapony Landing (also known as Gibbs Ferry), and finally Snow Hill , at
350-639: The continental shelf. The relief at the land-sea interface is so low that the boundary between them is often blurry and indistinct, especially along stretches of the Louisiana bayous and the Florida Everglades . The Atlantic Ocean has a broad, flat continental shelf that reaches a depth of 100 meters. The continental shelf off the Atlantic Ocean ranges in width from less than 1 km off Florida to more than 420 km off Maine. The average width
375-609: The ecoregion. Despite intermittent flooding, certain refugia have remained continuously terrestrial since at least the late Cretaceous (85-80mya), contributing to endemism. Generally speaking, despite the high diversity of soils, the soil is nutrient poor. This is primarily due to an abundance of well-drained soils, creating a primarily xeric character to the floral makeup of the Atlantic Plain. However, waterlogged soils are also notable, with wetlands and hammocks being important ecological features. The Eastern woodlands are
400-401: The fires burned for eight months, leading it to be deemed the "Burnt Swamp" by local residents. In 1980, Senator Joe Biden , at the request of environmentalists, proposed that the swamp be made into a National Park ; this plan was met with resistance from local residents concerned about being overwhelmed with large numbers of visitors. When Senator Tom Carper revisited the idea of creating
425-540: The head of navigation, also all in Worcester County . In 1785, after years of disputes over fishing in Pocomoke Sound and on the Pocomoke River, Maryland and Virginia entered into an interstate compact that regulated fishing in the area, established a common and free waterway, and covered how criminal trials concerning each other's citizens should be handled. In Wharton v. Wise , 153 U.S. 155 (1894),
450-422: The inland highlands in a series of terraces. The province's average elevation is less than 900 meters above sea level and extends some 50 to 100 kilometers inland from the ocean. The coastal plain is normally wet, including many rivers, marsh , and swampland . It is composed primarily of sedimentary rock and unlithified sediments and is primarily used for agriculture . The Atlantic Coastal Plain includes
475-510: The longleaf pine forests into central Florida, with South Florida slash pine flatwoods , Florida sand pine scrub and Florida dry prairie stretching into southern Florida. Longleaf pine woodlands also stretch further west, to eastern Texas. These consist of East Gulf and West Gulf longleaf pine flatwoods , bisected by the Mississippi Alluvial Plain . To the north, the Atlantic Coastal Plain also broaches into
500-571: The mesic hardwood forests of the Middle Atlantic coastal forests , followed by the northern Atlantic coastal pine barrens . The southernmost Atlantic Plain contains the only Neotropical ecoregion of the continental USA, being the Everglades and Florida mangroves . The following species are largely endemic to the region. Amphibian diversity is especially notable in the Atlantic Plain. Some of these species' ranges may extend into
525-492: The original, predominant ecosystem of the Atlantic coastal plain. The Atlantic coastal plain upland longleaf pine woodland is an endemic plant community found in most of the Atlantic coastal plain, ranging from Virginia to northern Florida. These woodland savannas are reliant on sandy soils and are fire dependent, lest hardwoods start to dominate. Alongside longleaf pine , typically associated flora includes turkey oak and wiregrass . The Florida longleaf pine sandhill extends
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#1732772053234550-571: The portion of the land mass above and below sea level. The lands adjacent to the Atlantic coastline are made up of sandy beaches, marshlands, bays, and barrier islands. It is the flattest of the U.S. physiographic divisions and stretches over 2,200 miles (3,500 km) in length from Cape Cod to the Mexican border and southward an additional 1,000 miles (1,600 km) to the Yucatán Peninsula . The central and southern Atlantic Coast
575-675: 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. 37°57′55″N 75°38′59″W / 37.96528°N 75.64972°W / 37.96528; -75.64972 Great Cypress Swamp The Great Cypress Swamp (also known as Burnt Swamp , Great Pocomoke Swamp , Cypress Swamp , or Big Cypress Swamp ),
600-715: The southwest to South Padre Island, Texas . This is approximately 1,900 miles (3,100 km). This province consists of the following physiographic sections: the Embayed, Sea Island , Floridian , East Gulf Coastal Plain , Mississippi Alluvial Plain , and the West Gulf Coastal Plain . The rocks in the province consist, for the most part, of layers of sand and clay which are not yet hardened into sandstone and shale. The Coastal Plain features nearly continuous barrier islands interrupted by inlets, large embayments with drowned river valleys, and extensive wetlands and marshes. The Coastal Plain slopes gently seaward from
625-619: The swamp, including some found during migration which do not breed there. Atlantic Coastal Plain The Atlantic Plain is one of eight distinct physiographic divisions of the contiguous United States . Using the USGS physiographic classification system, the Atlantic Plain division comprises two provinces and six sections. The Coastal Plain province is differentiated from the Continental Shelf province simply based on
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