Mojave Gunnery Range “C” is located east of Mojave, California, and overlaps the southwestern corner of California City. The Corps of Engineers is investigating and monitoring the former training area through the Formerly Used Defense Sites, or FUDS, Program for munitions and explosive hazards that may remain from previous military activity. This page provides information on the Rocket Range 101 project, which is part of the former Mojave Gunnery Range “C” FUDS.
The Rocket Range 101 project encompasses 289 acres and is located in the south-central portion of the Mojave Gunnery Range “C” FUDS. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps used the range for rocket firing and other air-to-ground training between 1944 and 1951. Today the project area is largely undeveloped with some unpaved roads and is used for off-highway vehicle recreation, recreational target practice and seasonal sheep grazing. The majority of Rocket Range 101 is owned by the Bureau of Land Management and the remaining portion is privately owned.
The Corps of Engineers began investigating the former Mojave Gunnery Range “C” FUDS, including Rocket Range 101, in 1999. During Corps of Engineers’ site visits, munitions and explosives of concern and munitions debris from the following items were identified: small arms ammunition, projectiles, rockets, practice bombs and high explosive bombs.
In the 2013 Proposed Plan for Mojave Gunnery Range “C,” the Corps of Engineers recommended a surface removal of munitions items and that an educational outreach program be conducted to further protect future users of the former Rocket Range 101 project area. The Corps of Engineers continues to investigate Rocket Range 101 and is preparing a Decision Document that will record the selected remedial alternative.
An Administrative Record containing project documents and reports for Mojave Gunnery Range “C” is available at the Kern County Library, California City Branch, and at the Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District office.