UXO Site selected: NORTHWEST MANEUVER AREA, OR
General Area: , OR

Site Type/Program: FUDS

Location: Northwest Maneuver Area is encompasses all or portions of Jefferson, Deschutes, Cook, Grant, Lake, Harney, and Klamath counties.

Brief History: The U.S. Army used the Northwest Maneuver Area (NWA) in September and October 1943 to prepare troops for WWII. The total area available for maneuvers spanned approximately 8,000,000 acres; three divisions of more than 10,000 men, officers, and warrant officers were supported by medical units, tanks, tank destroyers, engineers, anti-aircraft units, and air support from Redmond and Burns Army airfields. No permanent structures were constructed during this time.
Range / Site Description: The eastern portion of the site is used for cattle grazing and the western portion supports a dense pine forest; various portions of the site are used for recreational purposes.

Associated Munitions: Artillery, aerial bombs, and landmines have been recovered throughout the area over the course of several years.

Activities Completed: A Site Inspection (SI) was conducted in 1988 to assess the presence of unsafe debris, hazardous and toxic waste contamination and UXO. The investigation documented nine reports of ordnance being found: 1. BLM Lakeview District report of an anti-personnel fragmentation bomb found in 1986 near Silver Lake. 2. BLM Lakeview District Office reported ordnance found in the Lake Albert area in 1984. 3. BLM Prineville District Office reported ordnance found in the Millican area (time frame unknown). 4. Deschutes County Emergency Services reported ordnance found in sand dunes approximately 4 miles west and 1 mile north of Alfalfa (time frame unknown). 5. Deschutes County Emergency Services reported an artillery round found west of Sunriver. 6. Lake County Deputy Sheriff reported a practice bomb was found in the sand dunes approximately 14 miles north and east of Christmas Valley during 3/1988. 7. Lake County Deputy Sheriff reported during the summer of 1987 that a landmine was detonated when a trailer backed into it about 6 miles west and 5 miles north of Christmas Valley (the Army later found 10 other landmines in the draw of a small rocky ridge; another land mine was found later); a total of 12 landmines were found in the area. 8. Sunriver Nature Center reported spent mortar and rocket rounds are still occasionally found near a cliff northwest of the Sunriver airstrip. 9. US Forest Service Bend District Office reported a bazooka round was located approximately 1.5 miles west of Sunriver.

Issues:

Other Information:

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Northwest Maneuver Area- Click Map for Larger View
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