Apparent human skeletal remains have been discovered at Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, as water levels have fallen to historic lows. The discovery was made by visitors on the Nevada side of the reservoir, which straddles the border with Arizona.
Dianelis Molina Cruz, one of the individuals who found the remains, described the discovery to CBS affiliate KLAS. "My friend was playing with the rocks in the lake, and then he grabbed the jaw. And when he looked, he saw the teeth and everything," she said.
Her friend, Noel De Leon, suggested that the receding water levels at Lake Mead likely contributed to the recovery of the remains. "The water looks very low compared to where it should be," he stated. "As the water goes down, the skeletons come up."
Water levels at Lake Mead have been in decline since 2000. The US Bureau of Reclamation reported that water levels at the reservoir dropped to 1,040 feet (316 meters) above sea level last week, significantly below the previous record low set in July 2022.
The reservoir is located in Clark County, much of which is experiencing a moderate drought, according to the US Drought Monitor. Scientists attribute the worsening droughts in recent years to climate change, which has led to persistent hot summer weather causing water levels to drop in rivers and lakes across several countries, resulting in unexpected discoveries.