Black Rock Desert Gunnery Range

"An undated list of Gunnery Range and Target Area Releases Since World War I1 by the Twelfth Naval District (12ND) states that the North Range (Lovelock North) of the Lovelock Aerial Gunnery Range consists 676,758 acres of Public Lands and 41,241.34 acres of patented lands. The land was granted to the DoD from the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management(BLM) in a letter dated 13 January 1945. No records pertaining to the usage of this property from 1945 until 1949 were found. A letter Permit from the Department of the Interior dated 22 September 1949 granted 272,000 of the 718,000 acres to the DoD revoking the remaining 446,000 acres, stating that the 272,000 "is all that is available to the Navy." The DoD renamed the 272,000 acres to Black Rock Desert Gunnery Range." (FUDS Site Summary)

External Resources

• Wikipedia
• Loomis, David (1993). "Combat zoning: military land-use planning in Nevada"
• Corpsfuds, Site Survey Summary Sheet for DERP FUDS Site No. J09NV1115 Lovelock North Gunnery Range
• Corpsfuds, Real Property Report. p. 184 is an April 2, 1959 article from the Lovelock Review Miner about use of the range.
• "History of Use for Roads in the Jackson Mountain Area, Nevada," p. 73.
• Jerome E. Edwards, "Pat McCarran: Political Boss of Nevada," Letter about 5,800 acres being set aside. The actual amount was as much a 700,000 acres.
• Derrel S. Fulwider, "From Resource Management to People Management: Reflections of a Federal Land Manager," p 5-7, Winter-Spring 1986, The Humboldt Historian. Discussion of DeLong Ranch and the Gunnery Range.
• Robert K. Wilcox, "First Blue: The Story of World War II Ace Butch Voris and the Creation of the Blue Angels," p. 256 mentions returning from the Black Rock Desert Gunnery Range and having problems landing at Fallon.
• Bureau of Mines, "Red Butte Mining District," Information Circular, Issues 8246-8252, 1964 The Red Butte Mining District is within the Black Rock Gunnery Range.

Historical Resources

• Nell Murbarger, "Navy Land Grab in Nevada's Black Rock Country," October 1956, Desert Magazine.
• Reno Evening Gazette, "Navy Helicopter Down in Humboldt" October 3, 1957. A helicopter went down near in the Jackson Creek area.
• Desert Magazine, "Here and There on the Desert," October, 1958. The Navy conducted firing practice for the first time since the end of WWII over the Basic Sahwave air-to-air gunnery range. Is this south of the Black Rock Desert Gunnery Range?. The source is given as the Lovelock Review Miner.

Possible Sources for Maps

• FAA FAQ: How can I get out-of-date charts for collecting, historical or litigation purposes?
• Klamath Falls (V-1) Sectional Aeronautical Chart 1944
• Klamath Falls (V-1) Sectional 1951 on Ebay does not cover the Gunnery Range.
• Klamath Falls Aeronautical Chart 1956 Probably does not cover the Gunnery Range.
• Elko Sectional Chart 1948
• Elko Sectional Chart 1953 - Map sold on Ebay appears to have the Gunnery Range indicated.
• Elko Sectional Chart 1959
  • UNLV Library
• Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Northwest Nevada
• Reno sectional aeronautical chart, 1963.