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Opened in 1936 -

Lake Mead is a reservoir that was established in 1936 along with the creation of the Hoover Dam. These two enormous feats of engineering straddle the border between the states of Nevada and Arizona.

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A vast expanse of water -

Lake Mead is 115 miles (185 km) long and its width varies from 1 to 10 miles (1.6 to 16 km). It has an unfathomable capacity of 31,047,000 acre-feet (38,296,200,000 cubic meters).

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Lake Mead National Recreation Area -

The lake and its surroundings were declared the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in 1936, stretching from the Grand Canyon in Colorado to the Davis Dam in Nevada.

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A popular destination -

The area has multiple beaches, marinas, and water sports facilities. It’s visited by approximately eight million visitors per year, particularly residents of nearby Las Vegas.

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An important resource -

The reservoir provides drinking water to more than 25 million people across the states of Nevada and Arizona, as well as essential resources like irrigation and hydroelectric power.

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Diminishing potential -

It can hold up to 9.3 trillion gallons (42 trillion liters) of water and is technically the largest reservoir in the US, but it hasn’t come close to that since 1999.

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Decades of drought -

As of the summer of 2022, its water levels had dropped to a lowly 27% of its enormous capacity. A drought lasting more than two decades is to blame for this devastating drop in water levels.

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A growing crisis -

Lake Mead and the entire Colorado River have gradually been drying up over the past 20-something years. Scientists say it’s the longest drought to occur in over 1,200 years.

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Seen from space -

The drought is so far-reaching and so severe that it can only be properly monitored by NASA satellites from space.

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Las Vegas -

The drought is believed to be caused by a combination of reduced rainfall, i.e. climate change, and increased demand due to population growth. The proximity to Las Vegas and its increasing number of residents have put a great strain on the already diminished water supply.

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Closing facilities -

In addition to the disastrous implications for the local population and agriculture, the dropping water levels have also forced the closure of many of Lake Mead’s facilities. Marinas have had to shut down because they could no longer continue to extend their jetties and boat ramps to meet the receding shoreline.

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Knock-on affects -

This led to a drop-off in usage, which had a knock-on effect for hospitality businesses situated around the lake.

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Peak popularity -

Lake Mead reached the peak of its popularity for visitors in the 1950s, as Las Vegas started to become the metropolis it is today and attracted countless celebrities. Tourism in Nevada grew and those who visited Sin City often frequented Lake Mead to cool off with a day at the beach or a boat trip.

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A popular tourist destination -

Hotels and recreational facilities began to pop up to serve the increasing numbers of tourists visiting the Lake Mead area, such as “floatels” (hotels on boats) and floating restaurants. Celebrities like Don Rickles and Harry Belafonte were known to frequent such establishments.

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The "bathtub ring" -

The popularity of the destination continued to grow until the 1980s, when water levels first saw a drop. As the lake receded, a so-called “bathtub ring” of white mineral deposits appeared. This made it quite off-putting for potential sailors and bathers.

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Becoming a ghost town -

The marinas tried to relocate in order to stay on top of the disappearing water, which placed them further away from the established hotels and restaurants. This caused further drops in business, and eventually most of the luxurious amenities of the Lake Mead Recreational area were abandoned.

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Lake Mead today -

As of 2022, the previously pleasant touristic beaches and bays are now dried-up wastelands, scattered with the treasures of what was once the bed of the lake. Forgotten boats and relics of decades past continue to be revealed as the shore recedes further and further.

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History uncovered at Lake Mead -

Many oddities have been uncovered in the lake, including a sunken B-29 plane from 1948.

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History uncovered at Lake Mead -

A wrecked ship dating back to World War II was also uncovered, along with a few more grisly discoveries.

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Grisly discoveries -

Boaters on Lake Mead came across a barrel in the water in May of 2022. Inside the barrel were the remains of a man who had been shot in the head, dating back to the mid-1970s to early 1980s.

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A mob hit? -

This particular discovery is being investigated as a homicide given the nature of the wounds and the disposal of the body. Experts are calling it a mob-style killing, which is raising questions about the lake’s proximity to Las Vegas and the city’s longstanding connection to the mob.

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The Las Vegas connection -

The local Mob Museum in Nevada confirmed that the body dates to one of the most violent periods in Las Vegas history, calling it “an era of unprecedented street crime and underworld killings.”

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Before the casinos -

Before it became a gambling mecca, Las Vegas was a small desert town with very little going on. In the 1940s, New York crime lords began to investigate its potential as a gambling destination.

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Mob investment -

In 1946, they opened the first luxury casino. The Flamingo was the first of many mobster-financed gambling establishments to open in Las Vegas.

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Famous faces -

The Chicago Outfit gang set up shop in the growing metropolis, too. They opened the Stardust casino, which became home to the Rat Pack, hosting star entertainers like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, who have long been rumored to have had connections to the mob. With such famous faces endorsing the town, Las Vegas became a popular tourist destination.

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"Sin City" -

It’s impossible to deny that the Mafia made Las Vegas what it is today, and that it certainly earned the nickname “Sin City.” This is why the discovery of human remains at nearby Lake Mead makes a fascinating connection between climate change and the criminal history of Las Vegas.

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The perfect crime -

The enormous, secluded lake would have been the ideal place to dispose of a body without a trace, if it weren’t for the dropping water levels.

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More human remains -

Two weeks after the body in the barrel was discovered in May, a pair of sisters who were paddleboarding on the lake came across more bones. What they believed to be the skeleton of a sheep turned out to be more human remains.

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Identified -

They were later identified as belonging to a 39-year-old man who is believed to have drowned in the reservoir nearly five decades ago. Officials announced on March 28, 2023, that Donald Smith was a Las Vegas resident who reportedly drowned in April 1974, per CNN, though it's believed it was accidental. 

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And, once again, more bodies -

A third gruesome discovery was made on July 25, 2022, when more human bones were uncovered by the receding shoreline. More partial human remains were uncovered on August 6 and August 15. They were all found in the Swim Beach area of Lake Mead and authorities are still trying to determine whether the bones belong to one person or multiple people.

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More to come? -

Investigations into the identities of the deceased and the natures of their deaths are still ongoing. Local historians say that there will undoubtedly be more discoveries at Lake Mead as the water continues to expose the secrets of the past.

Sources: (Britannica) (The Guardian) (CNN) (NPR) (National Crime Syndicate) 

See also: The most polluted rivers in the world

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