California Megadrought Reveals Long-Lost WWII Ghost Ship on Dried Lake Bed

A wrecked World War II military vessel has been uncovered on the bed of Lake Shasta after water levels receded.

The "ghost boat" was first spotted last fall when the lake's waters dropped because of the California megadrought, according to the U.S. Forest Service for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

Forestry officials have now shared dramatic photos of the vessel on the dried lake bed.

In a Facebook post accompanying the images, the U.S. Forest Service wrote: "This boat is referred to as 'The Ghost Boat.' It really is quite remarkable how it emerged from the lake with so many stories to tell. Any 'restoration' will be done to preserve as much of the integrity of the boat as possible and will hopefully preserve it in a weathered 'combat fatigue' look, and that is how it is intended to be displayed at a museum in Nebraska."

Lake Shasta is a large reservoir on the Sacramento River in Northern California, constructed in the 1930s and 1940s. It is not yet known how the ghost boat ended up in the lake, according to forestry officials.

Their post added: "The mystery begins with the painted numbers found on the ramp when the boat was moved. It is marked '31-17'. This confirms it as a boat assigned to the Attack Transport USS Monrovia."

The U.S. Navy vessel Monrovia was deployed in the Atlantic and the Pacific during World War II. "This ship was Patton's HQ during the invasion of Sicily. Eisenhower also was on this ship at that time, and it went on to a further 6 D-Day invasions in the Pacific. Reportedly it was used in the invasion of Tarawa [in November 1943]," they wrote.

Lake Shasta, which is the largest reservoir in California, is one of many bodies of water in the western U.S. that have been hit by drought in recent years—and 2022 is set to be one of the driest on record. According to the California Department of Water Resources, Lake Shasta is currently at 33 percent of its capacity. At this time of year, it should be at about 59 percent.

Water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, two reservoirs of the Colorado River, have also dropped dramatically because of drought. Mead is at 28 percent capacity and Powell at 25 percent, as of October 11.

It is thought that the effects of climate change will worsen the situation in drought-ridden parts of the western United States.

"California has seen many severe to exceptional droughts historically," Tapan Pathak, a climate adaptation specialist at the University of California Merced, told Newsweek.

"However climate change projections show greater likelihood of increased frequency and intensity of droughts. There are no visible trends towards wet or dry future in California, but trends shows increased variability in both extremes. Which means California is expected to be vulnerable to both flood as well as drought conditions."

Lake Mead has also revealed hidden secrets as its water line has dropped: five sets of humans remains have been uncovered there so far this year. Most are thought to be drowning victims while one is being investigated as a potential murder.

1 of 2