Anonymous
Dry Canyon Reservoir (Photo: wikipedia)
Source: Los Padres National Forest
Los Padres National Forest officials today issued a forest order for public safety that closes Dry Canyon on the Mt. Pinos Ranger District effective today, October 22. Forest Service law enforcement officers will strictly enforce the closure order, which carries a penalty of $5,000 and/or six months in jail.
This forest closure order will be in effect until October 21, 2020, and specifically prohibits hunting, OHV use, hiking and camping in the Dry Canyon area.
The closure area includes the Dome Springs Campground, Dome Springs Road (8N40), Dry Canyon Trails 22W10, 22W11, and 22W13, and a portion of the Chumash Wilderness lying immediately north and northeast of Dry Canyon (see attached map).
Public scoping on the forest closure order was conducted from March 18 through April 17, 2019.
The Dry Canyon Artillery Range was used as a training site by the United States Army in the 1940s. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducted a remedial investigation of the Dry Canyon area in 2015 and found munitions and explosives of concern at the site as well as large amounts of munitions debris. Six unexploded ordinances were found during an investigation of just over 1 percent of the potential target area and surrounding low-density area. In addition, more than 600 pounds of munitions debris were collected.
The USACE ranks Dry Canyon in the highest category of risk to the public because of the potential for injury or death from unexploded ordnance. The purpose of the closure is to protect public safety during the period of time that the USACE concludes the remedial study and conducts a cleanup of the potential target area and adjacent low-density area.
