Uniform State Waterway Marking System (USWMS)
 

Note: The USWMS is presently merging with the U.S. Aids to Navigation System and will be discontinued on December 31, 2003. Vessel operators may encounter both types of systems during this transitional period.
 
Lateral System
 
May show green
reflector or light
 		 Usually found in pairs
pass between these buoys

_ Looking upstream _

 May show red
reflector or light
Illustration of solid black buoy, which appears as a black cylinder with a white numeral 3 in the middle.Port Side Starboard SideIllustration of a solid red buoy, which appears as a red cylinder with a numeral 4 in the center.
Solid Black Buoy
(Being replaced by Green Can Buoy)		   Solid Red Buoy
(Being replaced by Red Nun Buoy)
     
     

Cardinal System

May show white reflector or light

Illustration of a red-striped white buoy, which appears as a cylinder with a white top and red and white vertical stripes on the side. Illustration of a black-topped white buoy, which appears as a white cylinder with a black top and a horizontal black band around the top of its sides, and a black numeral 7 in the center. Illustration of a red-topped white buoy, which appears as a white cylinder with a red top and a horizontal red band around the top of its sides.
Red striped
white buoy		 Black topped
white buoy		 Red topped
white buoy
Do not pass between buoy and nearest shore
 		 Pass to north or east of buoy Pass to south or west of buoy