Tributary Tuesday: Manokin River
With preserved natural areas, historic buildings and fishing communities, the Manokin is like a river out of the past.
A trip down the Manokin River in Somerset County, Maryland, is like taking a trip back in time. Many area residents make a living harvesting and selling fish and shellfish. Restaurants, highways and shopping centers are hard to come by. At least one large property (at the mouth of the river) has been nearly untouched since the 17th century.
The 17-mile long Chesapeake Bay tributary cuts through farm fields and small towns as it flows southeast from Princess Anne and into Tangier Sound. A large portion of that land is designated as habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife, ensuring that the river remains abundant with critters. On the north side of the Manokin, Deal Island Wildlife Management Area’s 9 miles of trails and scenic roads offer views of great egrets and colorful summer sunsets. To the south, Fairmont Wildlife Management Area is home to waterfowl in the winter and migratory shorebirds in spring and autumn.
At the river’s mouth, historic buildings dating from the early 18th to the mid 20th centuries paint a picture of the Manokin’s past inhabitants. The buildings are located on a property known as the “Manokin Settlement,” and are united by a web of family connections. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, the Manokin Historic District offers a vista downriver to Tangier Sound and upriver to Princess Anne that’s believed to remain unchanged from the 17th century.
Surrounded by preserved forested marshes, early 18th century town buildings, and residents that understand the tides the way most of us understand a clock or a calendar, the Manokin seems to be a river out of the past. Unarguably, it’s a past worth protecting.
More from the Manokin River:
- Explore antique shops and historic mansions in Princess Anne. Named after Princess Anne, daughter of King George II of England, Princess Anne was established in 1733.
- Take a bridge to Deal Island and see fishermen unloading the day’s catch in each of the island’s three communities: Deal Island, Chance and Wenona.
Comments
Manokin River and surrounding communities are a treasure worth preserving and cherishing in every way. We also need to appreciate and support those who are part of this effort. It is time to turn a new page in history in which humans and nature could coexist and support and enhance each other. It can be done.
Be sure to visit MD DNR's Eyes on the Bay website. We have a continuous water quality monitor in the Manokin, as well as monthly surface water quality mapping.
http://www.eyesonthebay.net
Thank you!
Your comment has been received. Before it can be published, the comment will be reviewed by our team to ensure it adheres with our rules of engagement.
Back to recent stories