[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 33, Volume 3]
[Revised as of July 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 33CFR207.640]

[Page 80-82]
 
                TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS
 
         CHAPTER II--CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
 
PART 207--NAVIGATION REGULATIONS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 207.640  Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel Barge Lock and Approach Canals; use, administration, and navigation.

    (a) Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel Barge Lock and Approach 
Canals; use, administration and navigation--(1) General. The lock, its 
approach channels and all its appurtenances, including the highway and 
railroad bridge, shall be under the jurisdiction of the District 
Engineer, U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, Federal and Courts 
Building, 650 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, California. His designated 
representative at the locality shall be the lockmaster, who will be in 
immediate charge of movement and position of all water traffic while at 
or near the locks and in the barge canals.
    (2) Immediate control. The lockmaster shall be charged with the 
immediate control and management of the lock, bridge, and of the area 
set aside as the lock area, including the entrance channels. He shall 
see that all laws, rules and regulations for the use of the lock, bridge 
and the lock area are duly complied with, to which end he is authorized 
to give all necessary orders and directions in accordance therewith, 
both to employees of the Government and to any and every person within 
the Government lock area. Crews shall render such assistance in the 
lockage of their craft as may be required by the lockmaster.
    (3) Signals--(i) Sound. All craft desiring lockage shall signal by 
two long blasts followed by two short blasts of the whistle, delivered 
at a distance of one-half mile from the lock. When the lock is ready for 
entrance, notice will be given by one long blast from the control house. 
Permission to leave the lock will be one short blast given by the 
lockmaster.
    (ii) Visual lock traffic signals. Visual signals are located outside 
of each lock gate on the north guide wall, and will be used in 
conjunction with sound signals. When the red light is flashing, lock 
cannot be made ready for entrance immediately, vessel must stand clear. 
When the amber light is flashing, lock is being made ready, prepare for 
lockage. When the green light is flashing, lock is ready for entrance, 
the vessel may proceed with caution into the lock.
    (iii) Visual river traffic signals. Visual signals are located on 
the south bank of the barge canal at the confluence with the Sacramento 
River and also 1,950 feet upstream on the west bank of the Sacramento 
River. When the red light is on, a river-bound vessel of a size making 
passing in the canal hazardous is in the lock or canal. Approaching 
vessel shall stand clear of canal to permit out-going vessel to pass. 
When the amber light is on, a river-bound vessel of a size to permit 
passing is in the lock or canal. Vessel may enter canal with caution. 
When the green light is on, vessel may enter canal and proceed under 
full control.
    (iv) Radio. The lock is equipped with two-way radio operating on a 
frequency of 156.60 mc. The frequency is monitored by the lock 
personnel. Vessels equipped with two-way radio may

[[Page 81]]

communicate with the crew operating the lock but communications or 
signals so received will only augment and not replace the sound and 
visual signals.
    (4) Permissible dimensions of vessels and tows. The lock chamber has 
a maximum usable width of 86 feet and length of 600 feet. The sill at 
the harbor end and the bottom of the lock chamber are -13.0 feet 
elevation, CofE datum, and usually provides a depth of water ranging 
from 14.0 feet at LLW to 19.4 feet at HHW, with greater depths during 
large floods in the delta. The sill at the river end is at -10.0 feet 
elevation, CofE datum, and usually provides a depth of water ranging 
from 14.6 feet at LLW to 16.8 feet at HHW, with greater depths when the 
river is high. The depth of water at any time is indicated by staff 
gages located on the south wall of the lock, riverward and harborward of 
each lock gate and at the center of the lock. A vessel must not attempt 
to enter the lock if its beam or length is greater than indicated above, 
or if its draft exceeds the depth of water indicated by the gages, with 
due allowance for clearance.
    (5) Precedence at lock. Ordinarily, craft will be locked through in 
order of arrival; however, depending upon whether the lock is full or 
empty, this precedence may be modified at the discretion of the 
lockmaster if boats are approaching from the opposite direction and are 
within reasonable distance of the lock at the time of the approach by 
the first boat. When several craft are to pass, precedence shall be 
given as follows:

First: Government owned or controlled craft.
Second: Commercial craft.
Third: Passenger boats.
Fourth: Small vessels and pleasure boats.

    (6) Loss of turn. Boats that fail to enter the lock with reasonable 
promptness, after being authorized to do so, shall lose their turn.
    (7) Multiple lockage. The lockmaster shall decide whether one or 
more vessels may be locked through at the same time.
    (8) Speed. Vessels shall not be raced or crowded alongside another 
in the barge canals. When entering the barge canals and lock, speed 
shall be reduced to a minimum consistent with safe navigation. As a 
general rule, when a number of vessels are entering the lock, the 
following vessel shall remain at least 200 feet astern of the vessel 
ahead. No overtaking, except when directed by lockmaster, will be 
permitted.
    (9) Lockage of small boats--(i) General. The lockage of pleasure 
boats, skiffs, fishing boats and other small craft will be coordinated 
with the lockage of commercial craft. If no commercial craft are 
scheduled to be locked through within a reasonable time, not to exceed 
one hour after the arrival of the small craft at the lock, separate 
lockage will be made for such small craft.
    (ii) Signals. Small boats desiring to use the lock will sound two 
long blasts followed by two short blasts of the horn. When the lock is 
ready for entrance, the lockmaster will notify the small boat by one 
long blast of the horn; or through the public address system. Permission 
to leave the lock will be given by the lockmaster by one short blast of 
the horn.
    (10) Mooring in lock. All boats, when in the lock, shall be moored 
to the fastenings provided for that purpose, by bow and stern lines and 
other spring lines as may be necessary, and the lines shall not be let 
go until the signal is given by the lockmaster for the craft to leave 
the lock.
    (11) Waiting for lockage. The mooring or anchoring of boats or other 
craft in the approaches to the lock, where such mooring will interfere 
with navigation of the lock is prohibited. All boats, barge tows and 
other craft to be passed through the lock shall lie in designated 
waiting areas in such manner as not to interfere with the navigation of 
the lock or its approaches, and, if a barge tow is to be divided into 
sections for locking, the sections shall be brought into the lock as 
directed by the lockmaster. After passing through the lock, the sections 
shall be reassembled at such a distance from the entrance as not to 
obstruct or interfere with navigation of the lock or its approaches.
    (12) Delay in lock. Boats or barges must not obstruct navigation by 
unnecessary delays in entering or leaving the lock.

[[Page 82]]

    (13) Damage to lock or other structures. The regulations contained 
in this paragraph shall not relieve the owners and operators of vessels 
from liability for any damage by their operations to the lock or other 
structures. They must use great care not to strike any part of the lock, 
any gate or appurtenance thereto, or machinery for operating the gates, 
or the walls protecting the banks of the approach canals. All boats with 
metal nosings or projecting irons, or rough surfaces that would be 
liable to damage the gates or lock walls, will not be permitted to enter 
the lock unless provided with suitable buffers and fenders.
    (14) Tows. Tows shall be made up outside the canal entrance. All 
vessels engaged in towing other vessels not equipped with a rudder shall 
use two tow lines or a bridge and one tow line. If the vessel in tow is 
equipped with a rudder, one tow line may be used. All tow lines or 
hawsers must be hauled as short as practicable for safe handling of 
tows.
    (15) Crew to move craft. The pilots in charge of tows and persons in 
charge of other craft must provide a sufficient number of men to handle 
lines in mooring craft and to move barges and other craft into and out 
of the lock easily and promptly.
    (16) Handling valves, gates, bridges and machinery. No person, 
unless authorized by the lockmaster shall open or close any bridge, 
gate, valve or operate any machinery in connection with the lock; but 
the lockmaster may, under emergency conditions, call for assistance from 
the master of any boat using the lock, should such aid be necessary, and 
when rendering such assistance, the man so employed shall be strictly 
under the orders of the lockmaster.
    (17) Landing of freight. No one shall land freight or baggage on or 
over the walls of the lock so as in any way to delay or interfere with 
navigation or the operation of the lock.
    (18) Refuse in lock. No material of any kind shall be thrown or 
discharged into the lock, and no material of any kind shall be deposited 
into the lock area.
    (19) [Reserved]
    (20) Persistent violation of regulations. If the owner or pilot of 
any boat persistently violates the regulations of this paragraph after 
due notice of the same, lockage may be refused by the lockmaster at the 
time of the violation or subsequent thereto, as required in the interest 
of public safety or protection of Government property.
    (21) Other laws and regulations. In all other respects, the existing 
Federal laws, rules and regulations affecting navigable waters of the 
United States will govern in the use, administration and navigation of 
the ship channel, lock and its approaches.

[26 FR 11201, Nov. 28, 1961, as amended at 27 FR 4737, May 18, 1962; 27 
FR 10484, Oct. 27, 1962; 28 FR 8461, Aug. 17, 1963; 31 FR 6590, May 3, 
1966; 33 FR 14166, Sept. 19, 1968; 42 FR 17120, Mar. 31, 1977; 42 FR 
57962, Nov. 7, 1977; 48 FR 6708, Feb. 15, 1983; 50 FR 42696, Oct. 22, 
1985; 51 FR 25198, July 11, 1986; 56 FR 13765, Apr. 4, 1991]