Northwest District EMBLEM

U.S. Coast Guard Northwest District

Helping to Protect the Pacific Northwest

Waterways Management Branch

"Helping to manage federal waterways and ensure the safety of the boating public in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana!"

Redirecting...

Northwest District 24hr (866) 498-0713

Bar Conditions for Oregon and Washington

National Response Center (800) 424-8802.

Regional Exam Center (888) 427-5662

National Documentation Center (800) 799-8362

Navigation Center (703) 313-5900

Report Marine Emergencies

Report marine emergencies to the nearest Coast Guard Sector office.

Sector Columbia River / Portland
Phone: (833) 769-8724

Sector Puget Sound / Seattle
Phone: (833) 449-0369

Northwest District Local Notice to Mariners

United States Coast Guard Navigation Center Marine Safety Information

NOAA is in the process of sunsetting or ending the production of traditional paper charts. Click here to read more about this.

Look here for the new Homeport Solutions & News!

Need to file for a Marine Event Permit.  Click here!

OREI (Offshore Renewable Energy Installations)

This page is designed to assist developers of Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREI) with the design and planning of these projects in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. The term OREI is used by the Coast Guard to describe any individual structure or apparatus placed in the navigable waters of the United States that creates electricity by using sources other than oil or gas. Examples include wind farms and hydrokinetic apparatus such as buoys or wave and current turbines.

Coast Guard Oversight of OREI Projects

The Coast Guard oversees two primary aspects of Offshore Renewable Energy Installation (OREI) projects.

1. Risk Assessment

The Coast Guard reviews the applicant’s Navigation Safety Plan to determine whether the installation may adversely impact waterway users. This review is conducted through a formal risk assessment.

Risk assessments are conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound Waterways Management Branch for projects north of Grays Harbor, including the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, northern Idaho, and all of Montana.

Risk assessments are conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River Waterways Management Branch for projects in Grays Harbor and south to the California border, including the Columbia and Snake Rivers and southern Idaho.

2. Private Aids to Navigation (PATON) Requirements

The Coast Guard determines whether an installation requires Private Aids to Navigation, including navigation lights, regulatory signs, or buoys, to warn mariners of the installation’s presence.

For more information on what constitutes a PATON, click here.

U.S. Coast Guard District 13 Waterways Management Branch, located in Seattle, is responsible for permitting Private Aids to Navigation in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Public Notification of OREI Projects

Coast Guard information regarding OREI projects in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana is distributed through the Broadcast Notice to Mariners (BNM) and Local Notice to Mariners (LNM).

To learn more about the BNM and LNM public notice system, click here.

OREI PATON Manager Contact

For information regarding Offshore Renewable Energy Installations located within the U.S. Coast Guard Northwest District, contact the PATON Manager.

Commander (dpw)

U.S. Coast Guard Northwest District

915 2nd Avenue, Room 3510

Seattle, WA 98174-1067

Attn: PATON Manager

SMB-CGD-NW-PATON@uscg.mil

Report discrepancies with marine aids to navigation to the nearest Coast Guard Sector office.

Portland (833) 769-8724 · Seattle (206) 217-6002