Authorities Find More Human Remains In Lake Mead As Water Levels Decline
Water levels in Lake Mead are at the lowest level since April 1937, according to NASA. (Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Officials announced the discovery of human remains at Lake Mead on Monday, marking the third time such a find has occurred since May.
The remains were reportedly located on Monday afternoon and according to a National Park Service news release, park rangers went to the scene to recover them.
Officials contacted the Clark County Medical Examiner to determine the cause of death. The investigation is ongoing, the National Park Service said.
The discovery comes after two bodies were found at the lake in May, due to its declining water level, the Las Vegas Sun reported. One of the remains, which was inside a barrel, was linked to a decades-old homicide.
Lake Mead ― the largest reservoir in the U.S. and a major source of drinking water in the Southwest ― continues to experience its lowest water levels in 85 years, NASA said earlier this week.
NASA also posted photos that showed the decline in water levels over the past 22 years as monthly water elevation dropped from above 1,200 feet to about 1,043 feet in June:
Continuing a 22-year downward trend, water levels in Lake Mead stand at their lowest since April 1937, when the reservoir was still being filled for the first time. As of July 18, 2022, Lake Mead was filled to just 27 percent of capacity. https://t.co/qwgabmDJOGpic.twitter.com/iNMbuT5zbh
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) July 22, 2022
The dramatic change in water levels has been due to climate change and a nearly two-decade-long drought that has caused launch ramps at the lake to become difficult to use, the National Park Service stated.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
