Salinas Army Airfield Archives Search Report Findings

164 Pages·2005·17.58 MB·English

US Army Corps
of Englneers
HUNTSVILLE ENGINEERING
AND SUPPORTCENTER
ARCHIVES SEARCH REPORT
FINDINGS
Monterey County, California
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Project Number J09CA092502
March 2002 (FINAL)
Prepared by
US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
ST. LOUIS DISTRICT
Salinas Army Airjield
0
Monterey County, California
Archives Search Report -Findings
INTRODUCTION
Authority
Subject
Purpose
Scope
PREVIOUSISTEI NVESTIGATIONS
Corps of Engineers Documents
Other Reports
SITED ESCRIPTION
Land Usage
Climatic Data
Geology and Soils
Hydrology
Ecology
~emogra~hic's
HISTORICAOLR DNANCUES AGE
Historical Site Summary
Review of Historical Records
Summary of Interviews
Air Photo Interpretation and Map Analysis
REALESTATE
Confirmed DoD Ownership
Potential DoD Ownership
Significant Past Ownership other than DoD
Present Ownership
TECHNICADLATAOF ORDNANCEAND EXPLOSIVES
Table of Contents -Findings
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Salinas Army Aieeld
Monterey County, California
Archives Search Report -Findings
Plate 1 Vicinity Map
Plate 2 Findings Map 1945
Plate 3 1956 Aerial Photo
Plate 4 1995 Aerial Photo
REFERENCES
GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS
TEXT/MANUAL(SNOT USED)
REPORTS/STUDIES
LE~RS/MEMORANDUMS
REAL ESTATEDOCUMENT(NSOT USED)
NEWSPAPER/JOURNALS (NOT USED)
INTERVIEWS(NOT USED)
PRESENT SITEPHOTOGRAPHS
HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS (NOT USED)
HISTORICAL MAF's/DRAwINGS
SITE SAFETYAND HEALTH PLAN
REPORT DISTRIBUTILOINST
Table of Contents -Findings
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Salinas Army Ai$eld
Monterey County, California
Archives Search Report -Findings
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Authority
In 1986, Congress established the Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP) at 10
United State Code (USC) 2701 et seq. This program directed the Secretary of Defense to "carry
out a program of environmental restoration at facilities under the jurisdiction of the Secretary."
In March 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a revised National
Contingency Plan (NCP). Under 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 300.120, EPA
designated the Department of Defense (DoD) to be the removal response authority for incidents
involving DoD military weapons and munitions under the jurisdiction, custody and control of
DoD.
Since the beginning of this program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acts as the agency
responsible for environmental restoration at Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS). Beginning in
1990, the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville (CEHNC) serves as the Center
of Expertise (CX) and Design Center for Ordnance and Explosives.
The former Salinas Army Airfield is located in Monterey County at Salinas, California. The
World War I1 era airbase was used by the Army Air Corps as a pilot training facility and later as
a processing center for aircraft and crews for shipment overseas. It has also been known as
Salinas Observation Airdrome and Salinas Air Support Command Base.
The Archives Search Report (ASR) compiles information obtained through historical research at
various archives and records holding facilities, interviews with persons associated with the site or
its operations, and visits to the site. All effbrts were directed towards determining
possible use or disposal of ordnance or chemical warfare materials on the site. Particular
emphasis was placed on establishing the types, quantities, and areas of disposal. Information
obtained during this process was used in developing recommendations for further actions at the
site.
The entire site of the former night air training facility, consisting of about 1,040 acres, was
evaluated in assessing the potential for OE contamination. It is designated as DERP-FUDS
Project No. J09CA092502.
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Section I -Introduction
Page 1-1
Salinas Army Airjield
Monterey County, California
Archives Search Report -Findings
The ASR FINDINGS presents the history of the site, description and characterization of the
immediate surrounding area, real estate ownership information, findings of a visual field survey,
and OE site analysis, including an evaluation of potential ordnance contamination.
Section I -Introduction
Page 1-2
Salinas Army AilJield
Monterey County, California
Archives Search Report -Findings
2.0 PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS
Under the Defense Environmental Restoration program (DERP), the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Los Angeles District had prepared an Inventory Project Report (INPR), dated
September 1999. The INPR assigned a RAC score of 2 and recommended an OE project. A
copy of the INPR is included in Appendix D.
2.2 OTHERREPORTS
No other engineering or environmental study reports were found for this site.
Section 2 -Previous Site Investigations
Page 2-1
Salinas Army Airjield
Monterey County, California
Archives Search Report -Findings
3.0 SITE DESCRIPTION
3.1.1 Location
The former Salinas Army Airfield is located in Monterey County at Salinas, California. The
airfield is further identified as being located at Latitude 36" 39' 53" and Longitude 121" 36' 45".
3.1.2 Past Use
The majority of site was a municipal airport when acquired by the military. Surrounding
agricultural lands were then acquired to expand the airfield into the airbase configuration.
3.1.3 Present Use
The majority of the former airfield portion of the base remains as a municipal airport. The
remainder of the former airbase is occupied by a golf course, a residential area, a shopping
center, an elementary school, and a park, and some light industry.
Climatological data for this site required information from a National Weather Service (NWS)
station located at San Francisco Mission, California, approximately 60 miles north of this site.
Data recorded at this office is given in TABLE 3.2.1.
This area of California is known for its air-conditioned climate, with cool pleasant summers and
mild winters. In the summer, temperature minimums range from 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
The warmest time of the year is during September and October, when the fog diminishes greatly
and some of the warmth from the Central Valley flows westward. At this time of year, the
average maximums are in the mid 60's near the ocean. The maximum temperature on record is
103 degrees Fahrenheit (July 1988). In the winter there is little temperature variation, with
average maximums from 50 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit and average minimums in the mid to upper
40's. Freezing temperatures are extremely rare. The minimum temperature on record is 27
degrees Fahrenheit (December 1932).
Precipitation averages about 20 inches a year, with pronounced wet and dry seasons
(characteristic of its marine-type 'climate). Little or no rain falls from June through September,
while about eighty percent of the annual total falls from November through March. Snow is
extremely rare. Measurable amounts fall about once every 15years. On average,
thunderstorms occur on only two days each year. The maximum 24-hour precipitation is 3.2
inches (December 1956).
Section 3 -Site Description
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Salinas Army Airjield
Monterey County, Cal$ornia
Archives Search Report -Findings
The average annual wind speed is about nine miles per hour (mph) with lighter winds (six to
seven mph) occurring in the winter and stronger winds (10 to 11 mph) occurring in the summer.
Maximum wind gusts have reached 82 mph (January 1982).
TABLE 3.2.1
Climatological Data for
San Francisco, California
Month Temperature Precipitation Wind
Average Average Average
Minimum Maximum Average Speed Average
(OF) (OF) (inches) (knots) Direction
January 46 56 4.1 8 SE
February 48 60 3.5 11 WNW
March 49 6 1 2.9 12 WNW
April 50 63 1.5 13 WNW
May 5 1 64 0.5 14 WNW
June 53 66 0.2 14 WNW
July 54 66 < 0.1 13 WNW
August 54 66 < 0.1 12 WNW
September 56 70 0.2 11 WNW
October 55 69 1.1 11 WNW
November 51 64 2.6 10 WNW
December 47 57 3.9 9 WNW
Average 5 1 63 20.4 12 WNW
Source:' International Station Meteorological Climate Summary, Version 4.0 CD ROM,
September 1996. Jointly produced by: ~e~artmeonf tt he Navy -Fleet Numerical Meteorology
and Oceanography Detachment, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration- National
Climate Center and the U.S. Air Force Environmental Technical Application Center.
Section 3 -Site Description
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Salinas Army Airjield
Monterey County, California
Archives Search Report -Findings
3.3 GEOLOGAYND SOILS
3.3.1 Geology
The former Salinas Army -eld site is situated in the Coast Ranges physiographic province of
California, which is characterized by northwest-trending mountains and valleys. Geomorphic
features of local area vary from valley terrain within the actual site boundaries, where elevations are
around 75 feet to steep mountain sideslopes to the east and west of the site.
The Salinas site is located in a southward extending section of Monterey Bay containing the Salinas
River Valley. The Salinas River Valley is in a structural trough that parallels the northwest-trending
Coast Ranges. The Salinas Valley, the largest southern California coastal basin, lies within the
southern Coast Ranges between the San Joaquin valley and the Pacific Ocean. The valley is drained
by the Salinas River and extends approximately 150 miles from the headwaters to the mouth of the
river at Monterey Bay.
The Salinas Valley lies almost entirely in a northwest-trending structural trough filled principally
by unconsolidated continental deposits. The valley is bounded by the San Andreas Fault on the
northeast and by a series of aligned and interconnected faults on the southwest. The mountains that
bound the valley were formed by uplift and deformation, caused by crustal shortening and are
underlain by consolidated marine sediments, intrusive igneous rocks, and metamorphic rocks
(Planert and ~ i l l i k1s9 95).
3.3.2 Soils
The soils of the Salinas Army Airfield site are composed of loam with relatively high clay content.
These soils developed in material weathered from alluvial deposits. The soil typically has a surface
layer of moderately well drained sandy silty clay that is dark brown to gray in color. The soil may
show large cracks when dry. The subsoil, to a depth of about 30 inches, is lighter in color and has
higher clay content. The substratum, to a depth over 60 inches, is sandy clay.
The soil has a moderate to high corrosive effect on uncoated steel and concrete. Typically, the
higher the clay content of the soil, the more corrosive it could be. The permeability is moderate to
low and the available water capacity is moderate to high.
There is little or no potential for frost development in the soils of the Salinas site.
3.4 HYDROLOGY
3.4.1 Surface Water
Runoff from this site drains into a series of man-made reservoirs located periodically around the
perimeter of the airfield. A drainage channel also exists along the western portion of this site
that collects runoff. No United States Geological Survey stream gaging stations exist at this site.
Section 3 -Site Description
Page 3-3
Salinas Army Airj5eld
Monterey Counfy, California
Archives Search Report -Findings
3.4.2 Ground Water
The Salinas Army Airfield site is underlain by the Salinas Valley aquifer system. The aquifer is
contained within a structural trough that is underlain and bounded on the margins by a complex
of igneous and metamorphic rocks of pre-Tertiary age. The crystalline rocks in the trough are
overlain by consolidated sedimentary rocks of marine origin that yield only small volumes of
water. The consolidated marine sedimentary rocks are in turn overlain by semi-consolidated
deposits of marine origin. Unconsolidated continental deposits, which include the Paso Robles
Formation and constitute the principal aquifer, are the uppermost deposits and fill the valley to
depths of 1,000feet or more.
Freshwater is contained mainly in the unconsolidated basin-fill deposits. In a few areas,
sufficient water for domestic and stock use can be obtained from the semi-consolidated and
consolidated rocks where they are fractured or weathered. Ground water in this part of the basin
is under varying degrees of confinement due to an overlying clay layer. Infiltration from the
Salinas River provides most of the recharge for this aquifer. In the site area, groundwater flow is
generally to the northwest, towards Monterey Bay (Planert and Williams 1995).
The information provided for this site has been compiled from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and the ~aliforniaD epartment of Fish and Game.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Game and Fish have indicated that the
following Federally listed, proposed, candidate and species of concern, and state listed
threatened, endangered or rare species may occur within Monterey County. No additional
information on rare or unusual ecosystems for the project site was given.
I I I
Scientific Name Common Name Group Fed.
1
status stSattu s
Santa Cruz long-toed
Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum Amphibian E -q
salamander
I
Ambystoma califomiense California tiger salamander1 Am~hibian E
Taricha torosa torosa Coast range newt Amphibian
I
Bufo califomicus Arroyo toad Amphibian E(CH) CSC
Scaphiopus hammondii Western svadefoot Amvhibian
Rana aurora draytonii California red-legged frog Amphibian T(CH)
4 Rana bovlii Foothill yellow-legged'frog Amphibian
I
Pelecanus occidentalis califomicus California brown velican Bird E
I
Phalacrocorax Auritus
I
Haliaeetus leucoce~halus
Circus cyaneus
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Section 3 Site Description
Page 3-4