Las Vegas authorities: Barrel containing human remains discovered in Lake Mead amid drought, more bodies likely to turn up – USA TODAY
USA Today’s Take:
A boater discovered a barrel containing human remains in Lake Mead, and police say more bodies could be found as the lake recedes. The coroner’s office will determine the person’s identity.
A woman’s body was found partially lodged in mud on Lake Mead. The water level was so low that Las Vegas now pumps water from deeper within the lake.
Water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the largest human-made reservoirs in the U.S., have dropped to historic lows, below a mark set by federal officials to ensure power production and enough water for downstream users.
CNN’s Take:
Police found a body in a barrel at the country’s largest reservoir, Lake Mead. Based on the items recovered from the barrel, the body was likely dumped in the lake in the 1980s.
About 25 million people rely on Lake Mead water, which has been running out at an alarming rate amid a climate change-fueled megadrought. The low water level exposed one of the reservoir’s original water intake valves for the first time.
Drought has hit the West hard this year, with extreme and exceptional drought expanding across New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado.
Low water levels reveal body in barrel at Lake Mead, officials say more are likely to be found CNN
Read more on this at the following additional news sources:
VIDEO: Remains found in a barrel at Lake Mead KTNV Channel 13 Las Vegas
LVMPD says barrel dumped in Lake Mead containing remains was from 1980s KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas
Body found inside barrel at a Las Vegas lake may have been there for decades WVLT