Historic California Posts, Camps,
Stations and Airfields
Coyote Wells Bombing Target No.
103
US Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles
District History (1999)
The available information suggests that,
in approximately 1945, the Eleventh Naval District acquired the
approximately 646-acre Bomb Target #103 site (South 1/2 of Section
6 and the North 1/2 of Section 7 in Township 15 South, Range
11 East) from the Department of the Interior.
This site apparently was acquired for use as a high-altitude
bombing target, and was located in unimproved, undeveloped, rough
desert land.
Currently this site is under a proposed
withdrawal by the Department of the Navy. According to a representative
of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) , even though the paperwork
has not been completely processed, BLM considers this property
to be under the Navy's "jurisdiction" - i.e., the Navy
is responsible for anything that happens in this area. BLM's
Desert Access Guide #22 (November 1989) identifies the subject
site as being included within "Target 103, Live Bombing
Area," and has designated this area as closed to public
access.