THE HYDROGRAPHY OF ST. MARY'S 

 COUNTY 



BY 



N. C. GROVER 



St. Mary's County forms the peninsula of land projecting into Chesa- 

 peake Bay, between the Potomac and Patuxent rivers. Although it is 

 nearly surrounded by water, its hydrography is unimportant. Potomac, 

 Wicomico, and Patuxent rivers, which, together with Chesapeake Bay, 

 form its boundaries on all sides, except the northwest, are tidal streams 

 within the limits of this coimty. The rise and fall of the tide, from 

 Cohouck Point to St. Catherine Island, is about 1.9 feet; from St. 

 Catherine Island to Point Lookout, l.G feet; from Point Lookout to 

 Cedar Point, about 1.4 feet; from Cedar Point to Long Point, about 

 1.5 feet. 



The most important streams in the county are Chaptico Creek, Mcintosh 

 Eun, St. Clement, and St. Mary's rivers. In addition to these four 

 small rivers, there are many smaller creeks along the coast, all of which 

 have the same general characteristics. The basins and beds of the 

 streams are flat, with considerable length of tidal flow. No water power 

 is now utilized in the coimty, biit at one time a small power on St. 

 Mary's Eiver was in use in a flour mill at Clements. 



CHAPTICO CREEK. 



This small stream is formed near the village of Chaptico by the 

 junction of two branches, one rising near Charlotte Hall and the other 

 near Mechanicsville, and has a total drainage area of 32 square miles. 

 Its basin is composed mostly of timber land, with a few farms on the 

 higher part. The slopes are gentle and the soil is generally sandy. 

 The lower part of the basin is fiat, and below the village of Chaptico 



