§ 207.185 33 CFR Ch. II (7–1–12 Edition)

(f) Rafts. The navigation regulations pairs in the vicinity of locks so long as in this paragraph shall apply fully to navigation is not impeded thereby. the movement of rafts. (j) Liability. The regulations of this (1) Rafts will be permitted to navi- section will not affect the liability of gate a waterway only if properly and the owners and operators of vessels for securely assembled. Each raft shall be any damage caused by their operations so secured as to prevent the loss or to the waterway or to the structures sinking of logs. therein. (2) All rafts shall carry sufficient men to enable them to be managed [36 FR 8866, May 14, 1971, as amended at 37 FR 26419, Dec. 12, 1972; 42 FR 57961, Nov. 7, properly. It will be the responsibility of 1977; 48 FR 6707, Feb. 15, 1983; 54 FR 6519, Feb. the owner to remove logs from the wa- 13, 1989; 56 FR 13765, Apr. 4, 1991] terway that have broken loose from the raft. § 207.185 Taylors Bayou, Tex., Beau- (3) Building, assembling, or breaking mont Navigation District Lock; use, up of a raft within a waterway may be administration, and navigation. permitted; however, the work must be (a) Between March 15 and September done in an area that will not restrict 15 each year, pleasure boats, house- the use of the waterway by other users. boats, and other craft not employed for The work area must be cleared of loose commercial purposes, will be locked logs so that they will not enter the wa- through only at 6:00 and 11:45 a.m., and terway and become a hazard to naviga- 6:30 p.m., except in cases of emergency; tion. but whenever a lockage is made for a (g) Damage. Should any damage be commercial boat, other craft may like- done to a revetment, lock, floodgates, wise pass through if there is room in bridge, or other federally owned or op- the lock. At all other times lockages erated structure, the master of the ves- shall be made in accordance with sel shall report the accident to the § 207.180. nearest lockmaster or bridgetender as (b) The lock tender or one in charge soon as possible after the accident. of the lock shall be the judge as to Damage to aids to navigation and to whether the boat presenting itself for nonfederally owned bridges must be re- lockage is a commercial or pleasure ported to the Commander, Eighth boat. Coast Guard District, New Orleans, La. (h) Marine accidents. Masters, mates, [4 FR 1719, Apr. 29, 1939] pilots, owners, or other persons using the waterways covered by this section § 207.187 Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, shall report to the District Engineer at Tex.; special floodgate, lock and the earliest possible date any accident navigation regulations. on the waterway which causes any ves- (a) Application. The regulations in sel to become an obstruction to naviga- this section shall apply to the oper- tion. The information to be furnished ation of the Brazos River Floodgates the District Engineer shall include the and the Colorado River Locks at Mile name of the vessel, its location, and 400.8 and Mile 441.5, respectively, west the name and address of the owner. The of Harvey Lock, La., on the Gulf Intra- owner of a sunken vessel shall properly coastal Waterway, and navigation of mark the vessel as soon as practicable the tributary Colorado River Channel after sinking. in the vicinity of said locks. (i) Trespass on U.S. property. (1) Tres- (b) Definitions. The term current pass on or injury to waterway property means the velocity of flow of water in of the United States is prohibited. No the river. It is expressed in statute business, trading, or landing of freight, miles per hour. The term ‘‘head dif- will be allowed on Government prop- ferential’’ means the difference meas- erty without permission of the District ured in feet between the water level in Engineer. the river and that in the waterway (2) The District Engineer may estab- when the floodgates or lock gates are lish policy pertaining to mooring, ex- closed. The term ‘‘Lockmaster’’ means changing crews, loading and unloading the official in charge of the floodgates supplies, and making emergency re- or locks.

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(c) Operation of floodgates and locks— (4) Mooring facilities. Mooring facili- (1) Unlimited passage. The floodgates ties located on both banks of the Gulf and locks shall be opened for the pas- Intracoastal Waterway on the ap- sage of single vessels and towboats proaches to the floodgates and locks with single or multiple barges when are for the mooring of vessels when the the current in the river is less than 2 floodgates or locks are closed to navi- miles per hour and the head differen- gation or tows are limited to single tial is less than 0.7 foot. When the head barges. Vessels awaiting passage shall differential is less than 0.7, the Colo- be moored parallel to the bank and as rado River locks shall normally be op- close to the bank as possible. Barges erated as floodgates, using only the shall be moored fore and aft with two riverside gates of each lock. lines, each to a separate mooring facil- (2) Limited passage. When the current ity. Beaching of vessels in lieu of moor- in either river exceeds 2 miles per hour ing them is prohibited. The mooring fa- or the head differential at the Brazos cilities are numbered and vessels mak- River floodgates is between the limits ing fast to them shall notify the of 0.7 foot and 1.8 feet, both inclusive, Lockmaster giving the number of each or the head differential at the Colorado facility being used. River locks is 0.7 foot or greater, pas- (5) [Reserved] sage shall be afforded only for single (6) Communication—(i) Radio. The vessels or towboats with single loaded floodgates and locks are equipped with barges or two empty barges. When two short wave radio equipment transmit- barges are rigidly assembled abreast of ting and receiving on VHF—FM Chan- each other and the combined width of nels 12, 13, 14 and 16. Call letters for the both together is 55 feet or less, they floodgates are WUI 411 and for the shall be considered as one barge. Each locks are WUI 412. section of an integrated barge shall be (ii) Telephone. The floodgates and considered as one barge, except when it locks are equipped with telephone fa- is necessary to attach a rake section to cilities. The floodgates may be reached a single box section to facilitate pas- by phoning Freeport, Tx, 713–233–1251; sage, the two sections shall be consid- the locks may be reached by phoning ered as one barge. It shall be the re- Matagorda, Tx, 713–863–7842. sponsibility of the master, pilot or (7) Arrival posts. Arrival posts 10 feet other person in charge of a vessel to de- high and 10 inches in diameter have termine whether a safe passage can be been established on the approaches to effected, give due consideration to the the locks and floodgates. They are vessel’s power and maneuverability, painted with alternate horizontal and prevailing current velocity, head bands of red and white 3 inches wide. differential, weather and visibility. If Arrival at the floodgates or locks shall conditions are not favorable, passage be determined as provided in paragraph shall be delayed until conditions im- (d)(4) of § 207.180. prove and a safe crossing is assured. (d) Navigation of the Colorado River (3) Gate closures. The Brazos River Channel—(1) Traffic signals. (i) Light Floodgates shall be closed to naviga- and sound signals directed both up- tion when the head differential exceeds stream and downstream on the Colo- 1.8 feet. The Colorado River Locks rado River are mounted on top of a gal- shall be closed to navigation when the vanized skeleton steel tower 85 feet current in the river exceeds a critical high located on the northeast point of velocity as determined by the District land at the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Engineer, U.S. Army Engineer District, crossing of the river. They will be oper- Galveston, Tex. The Brazos River ated from the control house of the East Floodgates or the Colorado River Lock of the Colorado River Locks to Locks shall be closed to navigation direct the interchange of traffic in the when in the opinion of said District En- Colorado River and the Gulf Intra- gineer it is required for the protection coastal Waterway. of life and property, or it is to the ad- (ii) Vessels navigating the Colorado vantage of the Government to permit River and desiring passage either up- uninterrupted emergency or mainte- stream or downstream through the nance operations, including dredging. crossing, or into the crossing and

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through a lock into the Gulf Intra- § 207.200 Mississippi River below coastal Waterway, shall give notice to mouth of Ohio River, including the Lockmaster by two long and dis- South and Southwest Passes; use, tinct blasts of a whistle or horn when administration, and navigation. within a distance of not more than one- (a) Mississippi River bank protection half mile nor less than one-fourth mile works provided by United States. Except from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in case of great emergency, no vessel or crossing. When the locks and the cross- craft shall anchor over revetted banks ing are clear of vessels, the of the river, and no floating plant other Lockmaster shall reply by two long than launches and similar small craft and distinct blasts of a whistle or horn shall land against banks protected by and display a green light from the sig- revetment except at regular commer- nal tower indicating that the vessel in cial landings. In all cases, every pre- caution to avoid damage to the revet- the river may proceed across the cross- ment works shall be exercised. The ing or into the main stem of the Gulf construction of log rafts along Intracoastal Waterway either east- mattressed or paved banks or the tying bound or westbound. When there are up and landing of log rafts against such vessels in the river crossing or in the banks shall be performed in such a locks, the Lockmaster shall reply by manner as to cause no damage to the four or more short blasts of a whistle mattress work or bank paving. Gen- or horn (danger signal) and display a erally, mattress work extends out into red light from the signal tower indi- the river 600 feet from the low water cating the vessel in the river shall wait line. Information as to the location of at least a quarter of a mile from the revetted areas may be obtained from, crossing for clearance. When the locks and will be published from time to and crossing are clear of vessels, the time by, the District Engineers, Corps lockmaster shall indicate to the wait- of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, ing vessel by two long and distinct Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Memphis, blasts of a whistle or horn and display Tennessee, and the President, Mis- of a green light from the signal tower sissippi River Commission, Vicksburg, indicating that the vessel may proceed Mississippi. across the crossing or into the main (b) Mississippi River below Baton stem of the Gulf Intracoastal Water- Rouge, La., including South and South- way either eastbound or westbound. west Passes—(1) Supervision. The use, During periods when the red light may administration, and navigation of the waterways to which this paragraph ap- be obscured by fog, mist, or rain, an plies shall be under the supervision of audible signal consisting of a long blast the District Engineer, Corps of Engi- followed by a short blast of a whistle or neers, New Orleans, Louisiana. horn, repeated every 30 seconds, shall (2)–(3) [Reserved] be sounded from the signal tower as an (4) Cable and pipeline crossings. Any adjunct to the red light. cable or pipeline crossing or extending (2) Signs. Large signs with silver re- into the waterways shall be marked by flective background and stop sign red large signs with 12-inch black letters letters are erected one-fourth mile up- on a white background readable from stream and downstream from the Gulf the waterway side, placed on each side Intracoastal Waterway on the Colorado of the river near the point where the River. The legend states ‘‘DO NOT cable or pipeline enters the water, and PROCEED BEYOND THIS POINT at a sufficient height to be readable WHEN SIGNAL TOWER LIGHT IS above any obstructions normally to be RED.’’ These signs must be obeyed. expected at the locality such as weeds NOTE: The foregoing regulations are sup- or moored vessels. plementary to the regulations in § 207.180. (5) Marine accidents. Masters, mates, pilots, owners, or other persons using [31 FR 15310, Dec. 7, 1966, as amended at 34 the waterway to which this paragraph FR 15797, Oct. 14, 1969; 48 FR 6707, Feb. 15, applies shall notify the District Engi- 1983] neer by the most expeditious means available of all marine accidents, such

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