[2] CHA's responsibility includes the inland waters of Cardiff Bay (including the Mount Stuart Graving Docks), the River Taff up to Blackweir, the River Ely up to Wiggins Teape weir,[3] the outer harbour and Cardiff Bay Barrage.

CHA was also given responsibility for the land areas of Roald Dahl Plass and the Channel Graving Dock.

The Authority assumed this responsibility from Cardiff Bay Development Corporation upon its dissolution on 31 March 2000.

[4] They are also responsible for a number of facilities around Cardiff Bay: Cardiff Harbour Authority today has a number of statutory duties, including traffic control, security, navigational safety (including buoys, beacons, bridge lights and channel surveys), conservation (including dredging, maintaining river banks and the wetland wildlife reserve), encouraging both commercial and leisure uses of the bay, and protecting its environment.

The authority took delivery of a new general duties boat in 2014, built by Northumberland-based shipbuilder Alnmaritec.