Horse deaths investigated

Federal agencies that manage land in and around the Tonopah Test Range are investigating the deaths of more than 40 wild horses near a watering hole on a dry lake bed.

"Due to heat, location of the water and the low water levels, TTR (Tonopah Test Range) representatives believe the problem might relate to water quality in the area," a statement Tuesday from Sandia National Laboratories reads.

Investigators from the Bureau of Land Management, the Air Force, the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration are probing the horse deaths. Tests of the water and examination of the carcasses were conducted Tuesday. The watering hole is a drainage area at the north end of the main dry lake bed on the Tonopah Test Range, roughly 160 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

The agencies are setting up storage tanks to offer fresh water to wild horses and burros.