US drought uncovers historic WW2 boat as lakes run almost dry

The high temperatures witnessed by the American West have caused an intense drought in the region, making rivers and lakes touch historically low levels.

It has only been months since a barrel containing human remains was discovered in Nevada's Lake Mead. Now, a World War II-era boat has resurfaced in the lake.

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the boat used to lie 185 feet below the water's surface. These boats were used to bring soldiers to the shore during the war. It still has some armour plating and was used to survey the Colorado River decades ago. The boat was eventually sold to the marina and had been lying in the river after it sank years ago.

The southwestern US is in the middle of a decades-long "megadrought," and climate change has only aggravated the situation with all major reservoirs drying up gradually. The boat is the latest object to have resurfaced due to the declining water levels in the river.

A study by the Bureau of Reclamation recently stated that the lake's water levels are expected to reach such low levels that the government may have to declare a water shortage in the Southern Nevada region.

"The NPS suspects that this WWII surplus craft was put into service on the lake for various reasons and then partially salvaged before it sank in its current location," National Park Service told LA Times.

They added that the boat was a relatively inexpensive WWII surplus and could have been there from the time when Las Vegas was mostly removed from much of the US.

The lake is currently at about 27% of its capacity and a forecast has said that it could drop by more than 26 feet by next July. Similar incidents where World War II-era boats and vessels have resurfaced due to low water levels have been reported from across the world.

Recently, a World War II-era shipwreck resurfaced in Italy's Po River due to declining water levels. The Zibello, a 160-foot (48.8-meter) barge, was used to transport wood in World War II and sank in 1943 in the Italian town of Gualtieri.

It is not just the Zibello that has come out of its watery grave, but several such incidents have been reported in other towns of Italy as well. A German tank was found close to Mantua while remains of an ancient hamlet resurfaced in Piedmont.