POCOMOKE RIVER, MARYLAND AND DELAWARE

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a letter from the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, dated 18th ultimo, together with copy of a report from Maj. W. E. Craighill, Corps of Engineers, dated June 16, 1909, of a preliminary examination of Pocomoke River, made by him in compliance with the provisions of the river and harbor act of March 3, 1909.

Very respectfully,

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War Department,
Office of the Chief of Engineers,
Washington, November 18, 1909

Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith, for transmission to Congress, report of June 16, 1909, by Maj. W. E. Craighill, Corps of Engineers, on preliminary examination authorized by the river and harbor act of March 3, 1909, of Pocomoke River, from Snow Hill, Md., to Gumboro, Del.

Nine-foot navigation exists from the mouth of Pocomoke River to Snow Hill, the existing project providing for a channel to Snow Hill 9 feet in depth at mean low water and from 100 to 120 feet in width. From Snow Hill to Gumboro the distance is about 32 miles.

I concur in the opinion of the district officer, the division engineer, and the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors that Pocomoke River from Snow Hill to Gumboro is not worthy of improvement by the General Government.

Very respectfully,

W.L. Marshall,
Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army
The Secretary of War

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PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF POCOMOKE RIVER, FROM SNOW HILL, MD., TO GUMBORO, DEL.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,
Baltimore, Md., June 16, 1909

Sir: In compliance with Department letter of March 8, 1909, I have the honor to submit the following report upon preliminary examination of Pocomoke River from Snow Hill, Md., to Gumboro, Del., provided for in the river and harbor act of March 3, 1909.

Pocomoke River rises in a cedar swamp, which has an elevation of 40 feet above tide water. This swamp is located in Sussex County, Del., near the village of Gumboro, and about 5 or 6 miles north of the State line. From the Delaware-Maryland line this tortuous stream (having an average slope of 1.47 feet for 23 miles) takes a general southerly course through Wicomico and Worcester counties, Md., for 27 miles to the town of Snow Hill, which marks the head of navigation. The river then takes a southwesterly course, traversing the tide-water lands of Worcester and Somerset counties, Md., and Accomac County, Va., for a distance of 28 miles, uniting with Chesapeake Bay on the east side through Pocomoke Sound.

This river drains a watershed area of 170 square miles. The bottom lands above Snow Hill are flat, wet, and heavily timbered with cypress, elm, ash, pine, gum, maple, and cotton wood, while its tributaries extend out for miles to Parsonsburg on the west, Berlin on the east, and Gumboro on the north. Nine-foot navigation exists from its mouth to Snow Hill, but at Staggs Landing, 2 1/2 miles above, the river is exceedingly crooked and affords a route for rowboats in a restricted way only. There are 11 fixed highway bridge crossings on the river between Snow Hill and Gumboro, as well as one railway pile bridge located about 1 mile west of Whaleysville.

The Pocomoke River has been under improvement by the General Government since 1878, the original project being dated November 19, 1878. Reference is made to Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1879, pages 505-510. The existing project adopted by the river and harbor act of June 3, 1896, is based upon a survey made in 1894-95 (printed in Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1895, page 1167) and is for dredging the channel between Snow Hill and Shad Landing to a depth of 9 feet at mean low water and a width of from 100 to 130 feet. The mean range of tide is 2 1/2 feet. The sum of $36,981.79 has been expended on this improvement.

Snow Hill, at the head of navigation, is the county set of Worcester County, Md. It has a population of 2,300 and contained 9 churches, court-houses, municipal building, newspaper, water and electric plants, 86 general stores, 2 banks, high school, 2 canneries, 2 crate and box factories, 2 flour and feed mills, shirt factory, and 2 brickyards. It is a station on the Delaware division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and steamers of the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway maintain a semiweekly service with Baltimore; daily communication is also had with Pocomoke City by means of a small power boat.

Scattered along the Pocomoke Valley above Snow Hill at convenient points are the villages of Whiton, Powellville, Libertytown, Truitt, Newhop, Twilly, and Gumboro. These villages have populations varying from 50 to 150 and contain, generally, stores, saw-mills, box and crate factories, and water-power plants.

Situated in Worcester County, Md., and about 1 mile east of the crossing of Pocomoke River by the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway is the town of Whaleysville. It has a population of 350 and contains 2 churches, 3 general stores, cannery, lumber yards, box and crate factories. in Wicomico County, Md., on the same railroad, and 3 miles west of Whaleysville, is the town of Willards, which has a population of 225 and contains 5 general stores, cannery, 2 crate and basket factories. These 2 railway stations provide all the means had for handling the traffic of the northern Pocomoke River Valley.

The commerce by water of Snow Hill during the year ended January 1, 1909, was 5,826 tons, valued at $465,380, and consisted of lumber, coal, fertilizer, agricultural products, canned goods, poultry and live stock, and general merchandise, carried by 1 steamer, 25 sailing vessels, power boats, and barges, having an aggregate tonnage of 3,621 and a maximum loaded draft of 7 1/2 feet. For the same period the combined volume of trade by rail for Whaleysville and Willards (including Whiton, Powellville, Twilly, and Gumboro) amounted to 23,572 tons, valued at $926,200, and consisted of lumber, boxes, and crates, canned goods, wood, logs, grain, potatoes, berries, fertilizer, lime, coal, eggs, poultry, live stock, and general merchandise.

The prospective commerce of the river will be that due to the gradual growth of the community. Furthermore, it is estimated that 80,000,000 feet b.m. of merchantable timber is still standing on the inaccessible river bottom lands with a market value of $1,500,000.

The existing wharves appear to provide for the present needs of commerce. Those under municipal control of Snow Hill are located at the foot of Bank street and Strawberry alley and have a total frontage of about 55 feet.

Located at Furnace on the Nassawango Creek, about 5 miles north-west of Snow Hill, is an abandoned water-power site, said to be one of the best natural resources of the State, which would probably provide 150 horsepower under a head of 10 feet for twelve hours' daily service. These are in operation near Welbourne, on Swan Creek, 10 miles south of Snow Hill (near the Maryland-Virginia line), 2 waterpower plants producing 65 effective horsepower under a head of 7 to 8 feet. The following water-power interests, now in operation, are situated on the tributaries of the Pocomoke River north of Snow Hill:
Purnell pond, generating 20 horsepower with head 6 feet.
Tilgham pond, generating 15 horsepower with head 8 feet.
Adkins pond, generating 15 horsepower with head 8 feet.
Newhope pond, generating 20 horsepower with head 8 feet.

I am informed that the special features of flood control of Pocomoke River and the subject of reclaiming about 15,000 acres of swamp lands (Cypress Swamp) near Gumboro, Del., were investigated, and special report made in June, 1908, by Mr. G. A. Griffin, under the direction of Mr. C. G. Elliott, chief of drainage investigations, U.S. Department of Agriculture, to the secretary of that bureau; and in addition, that an alternate drainage plan was also proposed by the above-mentioned department of drainage investigations to connect the Cypress Swamp by a shorter route with the Atlantic tide water via Selbyville, Del.

I am of the opinion that the improvement of the Pocomoke River above Snow Hill, Md., by dredging is not worthy of being undertaken by the General Government, and that the benefits to be derived by developing the special feature of land reclamation and flood control are not such as to be worthy of consideration in connection with navigation interests.

Respectfully submitted,

W.E. Craighill,
Major, Corps of Engineers.

The Chief of Engineers, U.S.A.
(Through the Division Engineer.)

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[First indorsement.]

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, EASTERN DIVISION,
New York City, June 18, 1909.

Respectfully forwarded to the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, concurring in the opinion of the district office as expressed in the last paragraph of the within report.

D. W. Lockwood,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers,
Division Engineer.

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[Third indorsement.]

BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS,
Washington, D.C., July 26, 1909.

Respectfully returned to the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army.

The existing project of the improvement of this stream calls for a channel 9 feet in depth to Snow Hill, 28 miles above the mouth. Snow Hill is reported to be the present head of navigation, although it is stated within that a 7-foot depth is found for 2 1/2 miles farther up, beyond which navigation is impracticable. The present investigation has in view an extension of navigation to Gumboro, a distance of about 32 miles. On this section the stream is crossed by 12 fixed bridges, and is navigable only be rowboats. Adjacent to this stretch are several small villages ranging in population from 50 to 150.

The commerce at Snow Hill, to which point there is now a good channel, is small, and there is no apparent reason why it should be expected to reach even this amount above Snow Hill if the river is improved.

Several communications have been received by the Board from parties in interest, as a result of the district officer's invitation following his adverse report, and it seems from these that the principal object of the improvement sought is in the interests of drainage and not navigation. From the information now in hand the Board concurs with the district officer and the division engineer in believing that Pocomoke River from Snow Hill to Gumboro is not worthy of improvement by the General Government for the benefit of general commerce and navigation.

In compliance with the provisions of section 13 of the act of March 3, 1909, the Board further reports that neither the establishment of terminal facilities, the development and utilization of water power for industrial and commercial purposes, nor any other subjects not considered within, are so related to the project for improvement of navigation at this locality as to be coordinated in a logical and proper manner with such project to lessen the cost thereof and to compensate the Government for expenditures made in the interests of navigation.

For the Board:

John G. D. Knight,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers,
Senior Member Present.