CFR > Title 33 - Navigation and Navigable Waters > CHAPTER I—COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY > SUBCHAPTER P—PORTS AND WATERWAYS SAFETY (parts 160 to 169) > PART 161—VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT > SUBPART C—Vessel Traffic Service and Vessel Movement Reporting System Areas and Reporting Points (§161.25 to §161.65) > 161.35—Vessel Traffic Service Houston/Galveston.

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
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.
(c) Reporting points.
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]