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 APA Areas 5 & 6 project, which is part of the former Mojave Gunnery Range “C” FUDS.
The APA Areas 5 & 6 project encompasses 41 acres and is located in the northwestern portion of the Mojave Gunnery Range “C” FUDS. Aerial photography analysis identified two potential targets: a rocket target and a bombing target. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps used the targets for bombing and other air-to-ground training between 1944 and 1951. Today, the project area is privately owned and is used for off-highway vehicle recreation, target practice and seasonal sheep grazing.
The Corps of Engineers began investigating the former Mojave Gunnery Range “C” FUDS in 1999; however, the APA Areas 5 & 6 project wasn’t identified until an aerial photo analysis was performed in 2007. During Corps of Engineers’ site visits, munitions and explosives of concern and munitions debris from the following items were identified: small arms ammunition, practice projectiles, practice 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 APA Areas 5 & 6 project area. The Corps of Engineers continues to investigate the APA Areas 5 & 6 and is preparing a Decision Document that will record the selected remedial alternative for this project.
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.