Article 3. Powers of California Government Code >> Division 3. >> Title 4. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 15. >> Article 3.

The legislative body may:
  (a) Improve the rivers and streams flowing through or adjoining the city, widen, straighten, and deepen their channels, and remove obstructions from them.
  (b) Acquire and improve public mooring places for water craft.
  (c) Improve the city water front, including the ocean front, and build and construct breakwaters, jetties, and sea wall.
  (d) Construct and maintain embankments and other works to protect the city from overflow.

It may also acquire, own, construct, maintain, and operate wharves, chutes, piers, breakwaters, bathhouses, and life saving stations on lands bordering on a navigable bay, lake, inlet, river, creek, slough, or arm of the sea within the city limits or contiguous thereto.

Pursuant to contract and through its legislative body, a city may join with another city of the same class or with a county in:
  (a) Acquiring an existing ferry and franchise, wharf, or landing place necessary for its operation.
  (b) Operating the ferry upon navigable waters within or adjacent to the limits of both cities or of the county and the city.

Each contracting party may pay its proportionate share of the cost of acquiring and operating the ferry out of its general fund.

In the discretion of the legislative bodies of the contracting parties, the ferry may be operated either as a toll or free ferry.