33 CFR 161.35: VTS Houston/Galveston area and reporting points

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section describes the Vessel Traffic Service Houston/Galveston area. It lists the waterways in the VTS area, the circular precautionary areas with their radii and center points, and the reporting points. It does not state any other requirements in this text.

What it says

  1. The VTS area consists of listed major waterways and portions of connecting waterways, plus the precautionary areas associated with them.

    33 CFR 161.35(a)“The VTS area consists of the following major waterways and portions of connecting waterways:”

  2. The VTS area includes the Gulf ICW and Galveston-Freeport Cut-Off from Mile 346 to Mile 352.

    33 CFR 161.35(a)“Gulf ICW and Galveston-Freeport Cut-Off from Mile 346 to Mile 352;”

  3. Table 161.35(b) lists the precautionary areas by name, radius in yards, and center point latitude and longitude.

    33 CFR 161.35(b)“Table 161.35(b)—VTS Houston/Galveston Precautionary Areas”

  4. Each precautionary area is a circle with the radius shown in the table.

    33 CFR 161.35(b)“Note: Each Precautionary Area encompasses a circular area of the radius denoted.”

  5. Table 161.35(c) lists the reporting points by designator, geographic name, description, latitude and longitude, and notes.

    33 CFR 161.35(c)“Table 161.35(c)—VTS Houston/Galveston Reporting Points”

  6. For the Bolivar Land Cut and Pelican Cut reporting points, the table notes that tows entering the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) also report at HSC LB 25 & 26.

    33 CFR 161.35(c)“Tows entering HSC also report at HSC LB 25 & 26.”

Common questions

What is the radius of the Bolivar Roads precautionary area?

The Bolivar Roads precautionary area has a radius of 4000 yds. Each precautionary area is a circle of the radius shown.

“Note: Each Precautionary Area encompasses a circular area of the radius denoted.”

Which part of the Gulf ICW is in the VTS Houston/Galveston area?

The VTS area includes the Gulf ICW and Galveston-Freeport Cut-Off from Mile 346 to Mile 352.

“Gulf ICW and Galveston-Freeport Cut-Off from Mile 346 to Mile 352;”

Which tows also report at HSC LB 25 and 26?

The notes for the Bolivar Land Cut and Pelican Cut reporting points say tows entering HSC also report at HSC LB 25 & 26.

“Tows entering HSC also report at HSC LB 25 & 26.”

The text of 33 CFR 161.35

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

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

The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.