Third set of human remains found at Lake Mead as water levels continue to recede

A third set of human remains was found at Lake Mead on Monday as the reservoir’s water levels continue to drop, according to a statement by the National Park Service.

Park rangers responded to a report of human remains in the park’s Swim Beach area in Boulder City, Nevada at around 4:30 p.m.

"Park rangers are on scene and have set a perimeter to recover the remains," the release said.

The body will be taken to the Clark County Medical Examiner to determine the cause of death. The investigation is ongoing.

This is the third body that has been found in Lake Mead since its water levels dropped to unprecedented levels. On May 1, a boater found a barrel containing the body of a man who is thought to have been killed in the 1970s because of his clothing, reported the Las Vegas Police.

A few days later, on May 9, the National Park Service responded to a call reporting a skeleton at Callville Bay at the lake’s recreation area.

Lake Meade provides water to over 40 million people in Arizona, Nevada, California, and Mexico. However, the reservoir’s water levels have been falling at an alarming rate.

As of Tuesday, the lake’s water level was around 174 feet below its 2000s level—the lowest level on record since the reservoir was filled in the 1930s. The low water levels also exposed the reservoir’s original water intake valves, which had been in service since the 1970s.

"The lake has drained dramatically over the last 15 years," Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said in May. "It's likely that we will find additional bodies that have been dumped in Lake Mead."

Lake Mead is at lowest levels since they were filling it up pre-WWII. When will Republicans take this seriously? pic.twitter.com/DBzD5ikckj

— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) July 24, 2022