2005 California Government Code Sections 39961-39965 Article 3. Powers

39961.  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.
39962.  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.
39963.  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.
39964.  Each contracting party may pay its proportionate share of
the cost of acquiring and operating the ferry out of its general
fund.
39965.  In the discretion of the legislative bodies of the
contracting parties, the ferry may be operated either as a toll or
free ferry.