On May 3rd a report on 9news described a grim discovery – a body had been discovered inside a barrel at the bottom of Nevada’s Lake Mead on May 1st, one of the largest reservoirs in the United States which has been drying up due to drought.
At the time of the report, officials had predicted this body may just be the first of more grim discoveries.
“I would say there is a very good chance as the water level drops that we are going to find additional human remains,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer said to KLAS-TV.
The body is that of a man who was shot according to police. It is believed the killing, likely a murder, happened between the mid-1970s and early 1980s. The victim’s shoes were manufactured during that period according to Lt. Spencer.
“The lake has drained dramatically over the last 15 years,” said Lt. Spencer.
New reports have surfaced today surrounding the find. More human remains have been discovered over the weekend, less than a week since the first body was discovered in the depleted reservoir.
A call on Saturday afternoon was answered by National Park Service (NSP) rangers that reported remains in Callville Bay.
According to NSP, there is no further information available at this time and the Clark County Medical Examiner is assisting with determining the cause of death.
Approximately 40 million people in the West are reliant on the Colorado River and its two largest reservoirs as their source of water. Lake Mead and Lake Power. It is believed the drought is due to climate change which has caused the water levels to significantly drop in recent years. Lake Mead’s water level is approximately 320 metres; approximately 50 metres below the level when it was last considered full. Its level is the lowest on record since the 1930s when it was filled.
One of the original intake valves was exposed by the lake’s low water level in April – for the first time. The valve had been in service since 1971. It is no longer able to draw water, according to Southern Nevada Water Authority.
