Lake Mead is the country’s largest reservoir. It is located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada, a popular place for people who hike, camp and swim. It sits between Nevada and Arizona and attracts people from multiple states.
Due to the drought in the Western US, the waters of the lake, and many other waterways, are drying up and receding.
On several occasions, the National Park Service found human remains in the sand, left when the waters pulled back.
The latest skeletal find was discovered on Monday. It was the third to be found at the lake’s swimming area.
There have been five skeletal findings in the area since May and three were at Lake Mead.
The latest find has sparked another investigation by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Their dive team assisted and the Clark County medical examiner’s office is participating.
Investigators are comparing the latest discovery to remains found earlier this month at Swim Beach. Details are sketchy, but they believe two of the skeleton remains may be linked.
“At this time, the investigation into these remains includes working to determine whether the two sets of remains are from the same person or not,” the coroner’s office told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The first set of remains was found at the beginning of May, inside a barrel. Police believe the body was probably dumped in the lake about 40 years ago, in around the 1970s-1980s, and that the deceased had died of a gunshot wound.
In mid-May, human bones were found of another man at Calville Bay.
Police believe that the lake may have served as a popular dumping ground for killers and more remains may be discovered as the lake waters continue to recede.
NASA images show that the lake has been shrinking since 2000. 1999 was the last time the lake had full capacity.
The drought has also caused the lake to reveal dozens of sunken boats, trash, and baby strollers. In July, a sunken World War II boat was found.
The drought is affecting the Colorado River, the Hoover Dam, and the connected Lake Mead Reservoir.
What more will the waterways uncover as the drought continues?
