22 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. 
- WICOMICO COUNTY. 
Wicomico County divides with Somerset County the 
oyster-producing waters of Wicomico River, Monie Bay an 
Nanticoke Sound, and with Dorchester County the waters 
of Nanticoke River. The deep water channel in each case 
constitutes the boundary line. 
The natural oyster bars in all of these waters have been 
designated by law for the use of tongmen only. 
Nearly all of the grounds pointed out by the loaal repre- 
sentative of the county, Mr. James K. Covington, to be sur- 
veyed were found to be sufficiently well stocked with oysters 
to be classed as natural oyster bars, 115 acres only having 
been found to be barren bottom. The total area of bottom 
included within the areas charted and buoyed as natural 
oyster bar is 2,038 acres. _ . 
The rule by which the status of the grounds was deter- 
mined is the same as that adopted for use in Somerset County 
and is given in the form of a table on page 14. 
The table on page 27 gives the number and name of the 
oyster bars and indicates the condition of each at the time 
of the survey. 
Observations on the rise and fall of the tide were carried 
on during the survey of the county at Great Shoals Light- 
house, this station being centrally located in Monie Bay be- 
tween the mouths of Wicomico and Nanticoke rivers. The 
mean range of the tide during the period was 2.5 feet, 
maximum range, 3.4 feet. 
The number of lots leased from the State under former 
laws for oyster culture in Wicomico County and now held 
under the Haman Oyster Culture Law, is 18, covering an 
area of 8414 acres. The original surveys of all these lots were 
verified by the engineers while the survey of the oyster 
grounds was in progress, record being made of the starting 
point for each survey as well as the location of the corners 4 
of the lots. 
