FIO - BorregoSprings_INPR_1994.pdf

SITE SURVEY SUMMARY SHEET

FOR

DERP-FODS SITE NO. J09CA701100

BORREGO SPRINGS

BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

6 JULY 1994

SITE NAME: Borrego Springs, California (includes: Army - Borrego Maneuver Area, Navy - Benson Dry Lake, Navy - Borrego Hotel, Navy

- Borrego Military Wash, Navy - Clark's Dry Lake, and Marines - Camp Ensign) .

LOCATION: The majority of ~he site is located in the northern portion of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The Park is located in eastern San Diego County, west and southwest of the Salton Sea, California. The overall general area consists of desert terrain and dry lakes.

SITE HISTORY: The Borrego Springs site was a composite of several sub-sites within or immediately adjacent to the boundaries of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Sub-sites that were formerly utilized by the Army, Navy or Marines include: Borrego Maneuver Area, Benson Dry Lake, Borrego Hotel, Borrego Military Wash, Clark's Dry Lake, and Camp Ensign. Each of these areas are discussed separately below.

Ar.my - Borrego Maneuver Area The Borrego Maneuver area comprised of approximately 400 square miles of park land. The northern boundary extended to the Riverside County line, the eastern boundary was U.S. Highway 99, the southern boundary was State Highway 78, and the western boundary was a north-south line through Borrego P.O. The property was acquired by the Department of the Army through a Use Permit with the State of California dated 10 March 1942. This permit exempted three areas: portion of Township 9 South, Range 9 East, lying between U.S. Highway No.

99 and the Santa Rosa Mountains (this area is an Indian Reservation); Benson's Dry Lake lying north of Ocotillo (Naval landing field) ; and area adjacent to western boundary on which houses, fences and other improvements have been erected. It is not clear if private properties were also exempted. Records indicate the majority of the Maneuver area was returned to the State of California during the end of 1944.

The Department of the Army conducted extensive logistical preparations to build roads in the area but reportedly did not use the area as extensively as originally intended. Reported uses of the area by :the Army included: force-on-force maneuvers (limited number of excursions) and anti-aircraft training for troops stationed at Camp Callan (San Diego, California) .

Historical references to the locations where Army training activities were conducted in the Borrego Maneuver area were vague. Areas used by the Army specifically identif~s·n the documents include Coyote Canyon, the north face of BO ego Mountain, Borrego Military Wash, south of Borrego Sin , . qui Pass, Fish Creek Mountain, Carrizo Canyon, and Blair Vall~-

H J09CA 7011 0002

aspencer Text Box 200-1e J09CA701101_01.08_0502_a

SITE NO. J09CA70ll00

According to Jim Walker, OEW expert with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Army Maneuver Area has relatively high potential for ordnance hazards. Based on the areas history and reports of recovered ordnance, possible ordnance in the area includes:

medium/large caliber arms (armor piercing), 100-pound practice bombs, 2 to 6 inch rockets, and various small arms (0.22 to ~.50 caliber) .

Navy- Borrego (Military) Wash (inside the boundary of the Army's Borrego Maneuver Area) - This area lies approximately three miles due north of the town of Ocotillo Wells and Benson Dry Lake~ No records were found that indicated the size of. the property or when the Department of the Navy acquired it. Nevertheless, this property was located within the Borrego Maneuver Area which was acquired from the State of California by the Department of the Army in 1942.

According to the Navy records this area was used for level bombing. This was confirmed by ordnance fragments from both 100-and 250-pound bombs. The Navy and/or Army also used this area for aircraft gunnery practice as evidenced by the heavy concentration of 20mm and 0.50-caliper projectiles and clips and 2.75-inch rockets. The collapsed remains of two rake stations are present at Military Wash, only the concrete-reinforced platforms remain.

North and east of the rake stations is feature on the desert floor which consist of an east-west lineament running for about one to two miles. This feature may possibly have been the site of railroad tracts along which a target was either pulled or was self-driven. A heavy concentration of ordnance was found along this lineament. A large metal structure (8 feet by 8 feet) was located in Fault Wash (about 0.5 miles south west of the first rake station) and appears to have been a target.

Mr James Walker, OEW expert with the Army Corps of Engineers, noted that while all of the ordnance observed on this site visit presented no immediate danger, there was a distinct possibility that there could be a definite hazard presented by live ordnance that was either unobserved or buried. A week after the site visit to the area, State Park Ranger, Mr. Homer Townsend repor~ed that the Army's 70th Ordnance Detachment for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) was sent to the intersection of Palo Verde Wash Road and Short Wash Road (approximately 3.5 miles north of the Military Wash site) and disposed of a high explosive 40mm round (Appendix 3 of 3, section 5). Additional inquiries concerning ordnance were made to the San Diego Sheriff's Department, Borrego Springs Fire Department, former Yuma EOD contac~s at the Yuma Proving Ground, and to Marine Corps EOD at Camp Pendelton. The contacts indicated that numerous sightings of various ordnance have been found at the site. The predominant type of ordnance recalled to be found in the area includes: practice bombs, spent small arms {0.50 caliber and 20mm), and some unidentified high explosive rockets or bombs. This area, in particular, is considered to be a high risk area for remaining_ordnance.

SITE NO. J09CA701100

Navy- Clark's Dry Lake (inside the boundary of the Army's Borrego Maneuver Area) - Clark's Dry Lake consisted of 640 acres located in Section 5, T10S, R7E. This section comprises most of the southeastern corner of the dry lake. The property was acquired by the Department of the Navy through Declaration of Taking dated 25 October 1943. This property was declared surplus on 30 November 1955. Ownership of ~he property was transferred to Bart J. Comer, through a Deed of Trust, on 21 September 1956.

The property was subsequently granted to the State of Maryland for use as a radar telescope site. During the late 1980s the property was transferred t') the State of California to be incorporated into Anza-Borrego State Park.

The Navy referred to it's installation at Clark's Dry Lake as an outlying field or as an emergency landing field, although it's primary function was as a target for practice bombing. Navy records alternatively describe it as a level bombing target and as a dual-purpose level and dive bombing target. The field was the responsibility of the Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) at Salton Sea. The NAAS-Salton Sea reported through the Naval Air Station - San Diego to the 11th Naval District headquartered in San Diego, California.

The facility included a target, two dirt landing strips, a wind sock and two bomb-proof rake stations. The target was constructed of stones placed in concentric circles and a .majority of it was still intact. The landing strips consisted of sections of the desert floor that were cleared of brush. No pavement was installed, and evidence of these landing strips was not found during the site visit. The rake stations consisted of a reinforced concrete slab, three-feet thick by twelve-feet square, resting on four reinforced concrete pillars. Remnants of the rake stations are still present, including the four pillar supports for each station.

According to Jim Walker, OEW expert with the Army Corps of Engineers, the most likely ordnance expected at this site would be practice bombs with spotting charges. Remnants of ordnance spotted during the site visit included corroded remains of 6-inch and 100-pound practice bombs and 20mm shells. One source quoted in Orrell's account reports (Appendix 3 of 3, Section 3) that ~he amount of ordnance around the target was quite abundant at one time but today the remaining ordnance is relatively small.

Orrell reports that evidence of 2.75-inch training rockets were found but none were.noted during the site visit.

Additional inquiries concerning ordnance were made to the Army's 70th EOD, Park Rangers, San biego Sheriff's Department, San Diego Fire Department, the Borrego Springs Fire Department, Yuma Proving Ground, and the Marine Corps EOD at Camp Pendelton. No specific accounts of unexploded ordnance were identified, but access to this area was restricted to the general public until the last couple of years.

SITE NO. J09CA70110D

Navy - Benson Dry Lake (also known as Ocotillo Dry Lake) (just outside the southern boundary of the Army's Borrego Maneuver Area) - This area lies just outside the boundary of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park at the northeast corner of Highway 78 and Split Mountain Road. The property acquired consisted of four parcels totalling 353.11 acres. Two of the parc~ls, 160 acres (Marvin Ben Couch) and 85.21 acres (Elbert and Chesta Benson) were purchased by the Department of Defense (DOD) on 19 November 1940.

The other two parcels, 80 acres (John Sheran et al) and 27.90 acres (Elaine L. Wright et al) were acquired through a Declaration of Taking (condemnation) on 20 March 1941.

The property was used by the Department of the Navy as a dive bombing target and an emergency landing field. Use of the property during World War II is documented. Post World War II use of the property is not clear from the documentation. The property was declared excess 20 December 1955. Disposal documents indicate that the property contained no improvements and was transferred to the County of San Diego on 17 August 1956.

San Diego County currently owns the property and operates a small airport at the site.

While the real estate documents indicates that no improvements were constructed at the site, two remnants of stone-reinforced bunkers were observed on the small hills immediately east of the landing field. These structures provided excellent viewing areas of the landing field to the west and the Military Wash target area approximately 3 miles to the north. No other structures were noted during the site visit and no ordnance was found.

According to Jim Walker, OEW expert with the Army Corps of Engineers, the most likely ordnance expected at a former bombing target would be practice bombs with spotting charges. According to thfr. Borrego Springs Fire Department a 20-pound practice bomb has been recovered from the area.

Navy - Borrego Hotel (also known as Halfhill Dry Lake) (Outside the boundary of the Army's Borrego Maneuver Area) - The area is located approximately 1.5 miles south on Split Mountain Road from the intersection ot Highway 78 and Split Mountain Road. The subject property comprised of 160 acres that consist of the _ southeast 1/4 of Section 26 Township (T) 12 South (S) and Range

(R) 8 East (E) was acquired from Elmo Rowland Livingston via Declaration of Tak~ng, dated 10 July 1941. The property was declared excess and sold to Ray Formost on 6 September 1956.

Currently, the property is owned by multiple private parties (only one owner shown) .

This location was designated as a dive bombing target. In the general area was the former site of the "Little Miracle Hotel" (also referred to as the "Borrego Hotel"). _The hotel was deserted in the 1930s. Today only the slab of the 14 room hotel exists. An abandoned water well lies west of·the former hotel.

No ordnance was found in the area and the only structure observed which could present a hazard was the exposed ca~ing of the water

SITE NO. J09CA70110~

well extending about two to three feet above ground level. Date of the well is unknown. The slab of former hotel is now used extensively by campers as a level area for their trailers.

According to Jim Walker, OEW expert with the Army Corps of Engineers, the most likely ordnance expected at a dive bombing area would be practice bombs with spotting charges, medium caliber arms (20mm target practice and possibly high explosives) , and small arms (0.50 caliber).

Marines - Camp Ens ian ( j 1:.st outside the western boundary of the Army's Borrego Maneuver Area) - The Ensign Ranch, known as Camp Ensign, is situated in the western portion of Borrego Springs, California. The intersection of Palm Canyon Drive and Borrego Springs Road defines the northeast corner of the former Camp. In 1943 Marines established a formal base at the Ensign Ranch. No real estate documents were found that identified the amount of acreage the camp consisted of. The historical map indicates that the camp consisted of sections 4, 9, and 16 of Tl1S, R6E (estimated from maps to be 1920 acres) .

Camp Ensign reportedly consisted of a tented area for trainees and an unoccupied dwelling for use as headquarters near the open area where the tents were set up. The facility was used to train large numbers of Marines as truck drivers who were to be readied for combat duty in short order. It is possible that the destination for these drivers after training made practice in desert driving essential.

The area once occupied by Camp Ensign is now a residential area containing residences and large open areas. No evidence of the former camp now exists. Real estate records indicate that the area of the former camp is owned by numerous (estimated over 200) private parties.

SITE VISIT: The site was visited 26 February 1994 and 26 March ·' 1994 by Robert A. Davis, Jr. of Groundwater Technology, Inc., San

Diego, California. Jim Walker, OEW expert with the Army Corps of Engineers was present during the site visit on 26 March 1994.

Site conditions encountered are detailed in the Field Trip Summary Sheet dated 22 April 1994.

CATEGORY OF HAZARD: OEW

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

a) OEW: Recommend the Mandatory Center of Expertise (MCX) for OEW at Huntsville Division make a determination regarding further investigation at this site.

AVAILABLE STODIES AND REPORTS:

Pacific Sierra Region, National Archives San Bruno, Califorriia Limited files and maps on Benson Dry Lake, Borrego Hotel and Clark's Dry Lake

SITE NO. J09CA701!0.0

F.L. Orrell, recent Military·Operations in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, (a preliminary study of such activity from 1941 to 1959) 31 October, 19:91 (Revised January 1992)

DISTRICT POC: Jatin Desai, Los Angeles District, (213) 894-6266 l '· ... ·.I

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INDEX TO MAPPED AREA

SOURCE: AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA; CALIFORNIA ROAD MAP

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SCALE MILES

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BORREGO SPRINGS

J09CA701100

BORREGO SPRINGS, CA

830011116

SITE INDEX MAP

FIGURE 1

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SCALE MILES

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SOURCE: ANZA-BORREGO STATE PARK MAP,

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PARKS

AND RECREATION (1 993)

BORREGO SPRINGS

J09CA701100 ·

BORREGO SPRINGS, CA

830011116

SITE LOCATION MAP

FIGURE 2