Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is located in southwestern Arizona between the city of Yuma and the town of Quartzsite in La Paz and Yuma counties. The Corps of Engineers is investigating and monitoring this 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 Maneuver Area/Small Arms, which is part of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge FUDS.
The Maneuver Area/Small Arms project consists of 389,671 acres and was spread out through multiple areas of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. The area was used for general maneuvering in which munitions suspected to have been used include small arms ammunition, high-explosive and target practice artillery, and general purpose bombs. Previous inspections have uncovered fragmentation from 37mm munitions, fuzes and small arms ammunition. Tank tracks have also been observed at the project area.
Today, the property is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website, more than 80 percent of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is designated as wilderness. It offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy wildlife watching, photography, hiking, camping and limited hunting.
The Corps of Engineers continues to investigate the Maneuver Area/Small Arms and is planning a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study to determine if additional clearance activities are required.