Lake Mead water level explored amid discovery of human remains

Human skeletal remains were discovered Saturday afternoon in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, according to the National Park Service.

The remains were discovered almost one week after a body was found in a barrel at Lake Mead on Sunday afternoon. This discovery was made near the boat launch at Hemenway Harbor.

Park rangers arrived on the scene and established a perimeter around the remains. To determine the cause of death, the Clark County Medical Examiner was contacted.

According to reports, two retired Las Vegas police officers are offering a reward to anyone who finds bodies in Lake Mead.

Retired officers are offering $5,000 to divers who find any remaining bodies.

They said:

"We believe there are cold cases that are out there or missing people in general. Since the water is so low right now there's a chance in history to recover bodies."

The investigation is currently ongoing. No additional information was provided.

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What caused the drop in Lake Mead's water level?

Lake Mead, the nation's largest man-made reservoir and the site of Hoover Dam, has reached historically low water levels, threatening the water supply of up to 25 million people in the western United States.

Lake Mead has dropped to 1,055 feet in elevation, the lowest since 1937, a year after Hoover Dam became operational and created the reservoir.

In comparison, Lake Mead was at 1,080 feet this time last year – a year when federal officials declared a water shortage for Lake Mead's service area in the southwestern United States.

The decline of Lake Mead is not occurring in isolation. It is the result of a two-decade drought that has hit the western United States, causing critical water shortages on the Colorado River.

Lake Mead, formed by the Hoover Dam in the 1930s, and Lake Powell, upstream, are part of a system that serves more than 40 million people in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Nevada.

The government declared a water shortage for Lake Mead in August 2021, reducing Southern Nevada's water allocation by seven billion gallons in 2022. Earlier this week, an intake valve in the lake became exposed for the first time, rendering it unable to draw water. Intake valves aid in transporting water from the lake to treatment plants.

Lake Powell's water levels have also reached historic lows, falling below a level set by federal officials to ensure power production and sufficient water storage to supply Lake Mead.