Pocomoke River Management Plan

Excerpts from the report: The Pocomoke River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. There are 316,100 acres draining into the Pocomoke River which include lands from three states (Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia) and five counties: Worcester, Somerset, and Wicomico Counties, Maryland; Sussex County, Delaware; and Accomack County, Virginia. The Water Resources Council’s hydrologic unit number for this watershed is 02060009. There are approximately 95,700 acres of crop and pasture, 4,200 acres of idle land, 195,000 acres of forest land, 3,600 acres of herbaceous wetlands, and 13,400 acres of rural-residential, urban, and commercial areas. Fresh water areas account for 4,200 acres. Drainage is impaired on 37,200 acres of the total cropland acreage. The basin is estimated to have 20,900 acres of interior wooded wetland included in the forest land. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the water and related land resource problems and needs. This evaluation allowed for the development of a comprehensive resource management plan that outlines the seriousness of problems, the effect of existing programs on meeting current and future needs, alternative plans that can fulfill future needs, recommendations for solutions to problems using a cost effective and environmentally sound approach, and the identification of programs that can provide technical and financial assistance for implementation.