Wicomico River Creekwatchers serves all communities in the Wicomico River watershed, including most of Wicomico County and portions of Somerset County. 

Since 2003, this program has been scientifically monitoring water quality, educating the community about the watershed, and providing objective data and trend analyses to assist government leaders and individuals in making decisions affecting the health of the watershed and the Chesapeake Bay. 

Salisbury University student volunteers, under the direction of science faculty, analyze water samples for total Nitrogen, Nitrates, Phosphorus, Phosphates, Salinity, Chlorophyll A, and Bacteria levels. Learn more about what these measures are and recent results under River Updates.

The 2023 sampling season revealed mixed trends in the Wicomico River watershed’s water quality. Freshwater and pond sites maintained generally good water clarity, with some sites improving compared to long-term averages. Chlorophyll α levels, an indicator of algal biomass, were elevated but remained well below the level of concern. 

Nitrogen results were encouraging in some respects: dissolved nitrate concentrations were generally below levels of concern at most sites, and several locations showed improvements compared to long-term data. However, total nitrogen remained elevated at a number of sites.

Phosphorus trends continued to be a challenge. While dissolved phosphate levels were stable or slightly improved at several sites, total phosphorus remained well above the threshold for impairment across the watershed. This continued high total phosphorus is likely due to release from legacy sediment in riverbeds and shoreline soils rather than new sources. 

Salinity levels in the tidal portions of the river continued to rise, with the southern segments of the river significantly saltier than historical averages which is consistent with ongoing sea level rise. These changes were accompanied by higher pH in the same areas. 

Bacterial monitoring was conducted for the entire sampling season and for all sites in the watershed in 2023. Levels for all but the freshwater portion of the river averaged below the swimming risk threshold, but occasional site values were above the threshold, including one notable sampling date following an extreme rainfall event. 

None of the sampling locations are public swimming sites and bacterial counts are one component of safe swimming. For your safety, avoid swimming in any portion of the river or its tributaries without checking first with the Wicomico County Health Department.