The Great Wicomico River is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed April 1, 2011 river in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
, located approximately northeast of
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, Californi ...
. In 1864, during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
, one of the torpedo boats of Admiral
David Dixon Porter
David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ever to attain the rank of ...
's fleet ran into the Great Wicomico River and was captured.
Geography
The Great Wicomico is a small tidal tributary on the western shore of the
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...
. It is fed by the freshwater
Crabbe Mill Stream and Bush Mill Stream. The Great Wicomico flows into a trap-type estuary on Ingram Bay, with a history of significant natural spat settlement and seed oyster production. Oyster production is risky, given the high risk of disease. There are three sentinel sites present. The reefs were constructed in 1996 and 1998. The western shore of the Chesapeake Bay between the
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...
and the Great Wicomico River is generally low with no prominent features.
Dolphin
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the b ...
s are occasionally sighted in the river estuary.
Fishing
The Dameron Marsh area near the river mouth is said to be a good area for fishing, especially
striper
The striped bass (''Morone saxatilis''), also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has als ...
s and
trout
Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...
and Spanish
mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment.
...
during the summer months.
Large numbers of
menhaden
Menhaden, also known as mossbunker and bunker and "the most important fish in the sea", are forage fish of the genera ''Brevoortia'' and ''Ethmidium'', two genera of marine fish in the family Clupeidae. ''Menhaden'' is a blend of ''poghaden' ...
afflicted with
lesion
A lesion is any damage or abnormal change in the tissue of an organism, usually caused by disease or trauma. ''Lesion'' is derived from the Latin "injury". Lesions may occur in plants as well as animals.
Types
There is no designated classif ...
s are periodically caught in the Great Wicomico, and a
fish kill
The term fish kill, known also as fish die-off, refers to a localized die-off of fish populations which may also be associated with more generalized mortality of aquatic life.University of Florida. Gainesville, FL (2005) ''Plant Management in Fl ...
of at least 100,000 was observed by scientists in September, 2001.
[Fungal lesions linked to fish kills both with, without Pfiesteria]
in the ''Chesapeake Bay Journal''
Landmarks
The
Great Wicomico River Light
The Great Wicomico River Light was a lighthouse located at the mouth of the Great Wicomico River, south of the Potomac River on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay. It was first lit in 1889 and was deactivated in 1967.
References
*Great Wico ...
was a
screwpile lighthouse
A screw-pile lighthouse is a lighthouse which stands on piles that are screwed into sandy or muddy sea or river bottoms. The first screw-pile lighthouse to begin construction was built by the blind Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell. Construction ...
erected in 1889 at the mouth of the Great Wicomico River. The original structure was deactivated in 1967; the lighthouse superstructure was dismantled and replaced with an automated skeleton tower mounted on the original pile foundation.
In September 2015 the remaining structure was removed. Today, a lighthouse-shaped
folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings.
Eighteenth-cent ...
, not recognized as a navigational aid, marks the entrance of the river in
Fleeton.
Several wrecks are located in the Ingram Bay in the mouth of the rivers; of note are the ''Davidson'', ''Old Texas'' and ''San Marcos'' wrecks.
crosses the river several kilometres from the mouth near the Athena Vineyards and Winery.
See also
*
List of rivers of Virginia
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Virginia.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries, arranged in the order of their confluence from mouth to source, indented under each larger stream's na ...
References
{{Authority control
Rivers of Northumberland County, Virginia