Carrizo Impact Area Project 1 - Imperial County, CA

Carrizo Impact Area Project 1 (CIA01), MRS 01- Range Complex 2 is a Formally Used Defense Site (FUDS) located in Imperial County, approximately 25 miles west of El Centro in south-central California.

The Carrizo Impact Area FUDS property includes two MRSs, MRS 01- Range Complex 2, and MRS 02-Range Complexes and Impact Areas. This project only includes CIA01, which consists of 9,873 acres that was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1945 for use as a bombing and air-to-ground gunnery range. The Navy discontinued use of the site in 1959.

The majority of the property is currently owned by the State of California and lies within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, with smaller portions owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and private owners. All lands within the Carrizo Impact Area are uninhabited and closed to the public pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 3, Chapter 6, Section 4604 due to the hazards present. The landscape is essentially barren with sporadic shrubbery and low grasses.

Recent Public Engagements

USACE conducted an in-person public meeting on February 20, 2024, presenting information on the upcoming Remedial Investigation at Carrizo Impact Area, MRS 01. This site is a Formally Used Defense Site located in Imperial County, California and was used during World War II by the U.S. Navy for training purposes.

What are Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS)?

During the past two centuries, the Department of Defense (DOD) has used land throughout the United States to train soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines to ensure the nation's military readiness. As training and testing needs changed, DOD obtained property or returned the property to private or public uses.  Today, the DOD is responsible for the environmental restoration (cleanup) of contamination caused by the DOD on properties that were formerly owned by, leased to, or otherwise possessed by the United States and under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defense prior to October 1986. Such properties are known as Formerly Used Defense Sites or FUDS. The U.S. Army is the DOD’s lead agent for the FUDS Program. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) executes the FUDS Program on behalf of the U.S. Army and DOD. The U.S. Army and DOD are dedicated to protecting human health and the environment by investigating and, if required, cleaning up possible contamination that may remain on these properties from past DOD activities.

Safety Reminder to follow the three R's of explosives safety: Recognize, Retreat, Report

Site Location Map of Carrizo Impact Area in Imperial County, CA
Site Location Map

Site Layout for Carizzo Impact Area project in Imperial County, CA
Site Layout Map

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding either
the USACE FUDS Program or
the Carrizo Impact Area MRS 01 project
please contact:

Sacramento District Public Affairs Office
(916) 557-5100
spk-pao@usace.army.mil

Sacramento FUDS Program Manager:
(916) 557-6884
spk_fuds@usace.army.mil