CFR

161.35—Vessel Traffic Service Houston/Galveston.

(a) The VTS area consists of the following major waterways and portions of connecting waterways: Galveston Bay Entrance Channel; Outer Bar Channel; Inner Bar Channel; Bolivar Roads Channel; Galveston Channel; Gulf ICW and Galveston-Freeport Cut-Off from Mile 346 to Mile 352; Texas City Channel; Texas City Turning Basin; Texas City Canal Channel; Texas City Canal Turning Basin; Houston Ship Channel; Bayport Channel; Bayport Turning Basin; Houston Turning Basin; and the following precautionary areas associated with these waterways.

(b) Precautionary areas.

Table 161.35(b)—VTS Houston/Galveston Precautionary Areas

Precautionary area name	Radius (yds.)	Center point
Precautionary area name	Radius (yds.)	Latitude	Longitude
Bolivar Roads	4000	29°20.9′ N	94°47.0′ W
Red Fish Bar	4000	29°29.8′ N	94°51.9′ W
Bayport Channel	4000	29°36.7′ N	94°57.2′ W
Morgans Point	2000	29°41.0′ N	94°59.0′ W
Upper San Jacinto Bay	1000	29°42.3′ N	95°01.1′ W
Baytown	1000	29°43.6′ N	95°01.4′ W
Lynchburg	1000	29°45.8′ N	95°04.8′ W
Carpenters Bayou	1000	29°45.3′ N	95°05.6′ W
Jacintoport	1000	29°44.8′ N	95°06.0′ W
Greens Bayou	1000	29°44.8′ N	95°10.2′ W
Hunting Bayou	1000	29°44.3′ N	95°12.1′ W
Sims Bayou	1000	29°43.2′ N	95°14.4′ W
Brady Island	1000	29°43.5′ N	95°16.4′ W
Buffalo Bayou	1000	29°45.0′ N	95°17.3′ W
Note: Each Precautionary Area encompasses a circular area of the radius denoted.

Table 161.35(c)—VTS Houston/Galveston Reporting Points

Designator	Geographic name	Geographic description	Latitude/ longitude	Notes
1	Galveston Bay Entrance Channel	Galveston Bay Entrance CH Lighted Buoy (LB) “1C”	29° 18.2′ N; 94° 37.6′ W
2	Galveston Bay Entrance Channel	Galveston Bay Entrance Channel LB 11 and 12	29° 20.6′ N; 94° 44.6′ W
E	Bolivar Land Cut	Mile 349 Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)	29° 22.5′ N; 94° 46.9′ W	Tows entering HSC also report at HSC LB 25 & 26.
W	Pelican Cut	Mile 351 ICW	29° 21.4′ N; 94° 48.5′ W	Tows entering HSC also report at HSC LB 25 & 26.
G	Galveston Harbor	Galveston Channel Lt. 2	29° 20.2′ N; 94° 46.6′ W	Coast Guard Base.
T	Texas City Channel	Texas City Channel Lt. 12	29° 22.4′ N; 94° 50.9′ W
X	Houston Ship Channel ICW Intersection	Houston Ship Channel (HSC) LB 25 and 26	29° 22.2′ N; 94° 48.1′ W	Tow entering HSC from ICW or Texas Cut Only.
3	Lower Galveston Bay	HSC Lt. 31 and LB 32	29° 23.8′ N; 94° 48.9′ W
4	Red Fish Bar	HSC Lt. 53 & 54	29° 30.3′ N; 94° 52.4′ W
P	Bayport Ship Channel	Bayport Ship Channel Lt. 8 and 9	29° 36.8′ N; 94° 59.5′ W	Bayport Land Cut.
4A	Upper Galveston Bay	HSC Lt. 69 and 70	29° 34.7′ N; 94° 55.8′ W	Tows only.
5	Morgan's Point	HSC Lt. 91	29° 41.0′ N; 94° 59.0′ W
6	Exxon	HSC Lt. 109A	29° 43.5′ N; 95° 01.4′ W
7	Lynchburg	Ferry crossing	29° 45.8′ N; 95° 04.8′ W
8	Shell Oil	Boggy Bayou	29° 44.1′ N; 95° 08.0′ W
9	Greens Bayou	HSC Lt. 152	29° 44.8′ N; 95° 10.1′ W
10	Hunting Bayou	Hunting Bayou Turning Basin.	29° 44.4′ N; 95° 12.1′ W
11	Lyondell	Sims Bayou Turning Basin.	29° 43.2′ N; 95° 14.4′ W
12	I-610 Bridge	I-610 Bridge	29° 43.5′ N; 95° 16.0′ W
13	Buffalo Bayou	Houston Turning Basin	29° 45.0′ N; 95° 17.4′ W

Code of Federal Regulations

[CGD 90-020, 59 FR 36324, July 15, 1994, as amended by CGD 95-033, 60 FR 28331, May 31, 1995; USCG-2000-7223, 65 FR 40058, June 29, 2000; USCG-2007-27887, 72 FR 45904, Aug. 16, 2007]

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