Yet more human remains found as drought shrinks Lake Mead reservoir

A fourth set of human remains has been found at the shrinking reservoir of Lake Mead as the drought gripping the western US continues to blaze and sends its water levels plunging.

The fourth set of skeletal remains was found on Saturday at Swim Beach in Nevada, and are now being assessed by the local Clark county coroner. The identity of the body is unknown, nor the manner of death.

The lake is now at its lowest level for more than 80 years, posing a dire threat to a water source that is crucial for 25 million people. The dry spell has dried out its tributaries, threatened key hydropower production and hurt tourism at what is a popular recreation site for many hundreds of miles.

In May boaters spotted a barrel containing the remains of a man shot between the mid-1970s and the early 1980s that some speculated may have been a mob hit. A week later two sisters paddleboarding found a skeleton emerging on a sand bar. And then a third set of bones was found at a popular swimming beach.