Second set of human remains found at Lake Mead

Callvillr Bay on Lake Mead.
Source – US National Park Service

A second set of human remains were found at Callville Bay in Lake Mead National Recreation Area Saturday, less than a week after a body in a barrel was discovered at the reservoir.

National Park Service rangers responded to a call on Saturday afternoon that reported the remains in Callville Bay. The Clark County Medical Examiner is assisting with determining the cause of death, according to NPS, which said there is “no further information is available at this time,” according to CNN News.

According to KTNV.com. news, Lindsey and Lynette Melvin reportedly discovered the skeletal remains around 2 p.m. on Saturday and immediately notified authorities.

USA Today reports that the first body, discovered on May 1, in an area near Hemenway Harbor, was likely a murder victim who died from a gunshot wound “sometime in the mid-’70s to early ’80s, based on clothing and footwear the victim was found with,” according to a news release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.

“The lake has drained dramatically over the last 15 years,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer said at the time, noting “it’s likely that we will find additional bodies that have been dumped in Lake Mead” as the water level drops more.

Lake Mead and Lake Powell are the largest human-made reservoirs in the United States, diverting water from the Colorado River to 40 million people in seven states, tribal nations, and Mexico.

In the year 2000, both lakes were considered full, according to officials, however, Lake Mead has remained below full capacity since 1983 due to drought and increased water demand.

As of Monday, the lake’s water level was around 1,052 feet above sea level – roughly 162 feet below its 2000 level. It’s the lowest level on record for the reservoir since it was filled in the 1930s.

The nation’s second-largest reservoir, Lake Powell, reached its all-time high later level on July 14, 1983, during one of the heaviest Colorado River floods in recorded history.

The lake rose to 3,708.34 feet (1,130.30 m) above sea level, with a water content of 25,757,086 acre-feet (31.770898 km³).

Since the year 2000, lake levels have continued a downward spiral due to the megadrought in the western United States. In winter 2005 (before the spring run-off) the lake reached its then-lowest level since filling, an elevation of 3,555.10 feet (1,083.59 m) above sea level,

On May 8, 2022, Lake Powell was 177.13 feet below Full Pool (Elevation 3,700) By content, Lake Powell is 23.83 percent of Full Pool (24,322,000 acre feet).