Which Waters Are Federally Controlled?

Waters on which vessels must observe federal requirements, including VDS requirements; these waters include:

• Coastal waters
• The Great Lakes (Lake Michigan and Lake Superior)
• Territorial seas
• Bodies of water connected directly to one of the above, up to a point where the body of water is less than two miles wide, including the Mississippi River, and portions of the Wisconsin, St. Croix, Wolf, and Fox Rivers