Lake Mead: An Entire World of Buried Secrets
Lake Mead, situated on the Nevada-Arizona border, has been the largest reservoir in the nation for a long time. Now, it is shrinking at an alarming rate! Parts of the reservoir have mineralized and water levels have dropped over the past 20 years, revealing unforeseen secrets.
NASA has released new images of the lake, currently sitting at 27% capacity. This is its lowest point since April of 1937, when the reservoir was being filled up. The worrying images revealed by NASA show a rapid decrease in water levels over the past 22 years, as well as the mineralization of some parts of the reservoir. Lake Mead represents a crucial water source for over 25 million people, while also providing hydropower, a recreation site and used to supply countless tributaries, which are now drying out.
An image taken on the 6th of July in the year 2000 shows the lake full, while its color is a deep shade of blue. Another image provided on the 3rd of July 2022 reveals, however, that the reservoir has been nearly depleted, now lighter in color. This indicates that some areas that were once underwater have mineralized over time. This phenomenon is known as the “bathtub ring” effect.
The Colorado river has endured a severe drought for the past few decades and the repercussions of that can only now be fully appreciated.
It is important to point out that Lake Mead is not a naturally formed body of water. The lake formed when the Hoover Dam was built. The reservoir expanded since 1937, covering up multiple archeological digs and even submerging St Helens, a Mormon settlement. Over the past few years, though, the underwater settlement has been revealed several times.
Because of the archeological digs that were previously situated there, officials stated that they would not be surprised if centuries-old relics start getting found. Nearby museums hold artifacts of the Puebloan people, a civilization that lived in the area more than a thousand years ago!
With the water receding, more and more formerly buried secrets are revealed! So far, at least three human remains have been found, and more are expected to be dug up. One of the bodies was found inside a barrel, probably indicating the result of a mob killing.
More grim findings are expected to take place as the lake keeps drying out. Officials regularly receive calls from visitors who think they’ve found another set of human remains. Most of the time, however, the bones turn out to be of animal origin. Prop skeletons have also been left at the bottom of the lake by scuba divers years ago and are now a source of fear for unsuspecting tourists.
The first body found was the one in the barrel. Some boaters spotted it in May and alerted the authorities. After evaluation, it has been concluded that the man was shot between the mid-1970s and early 1980s. The local “Mob Museum” affirms that the killing coincides with the signature of a ‘mob hit’ from the most violent period of Las Vegas.
Only one week later, two sisters who were paddleboarding came across the second set of remains. They initially thought the bones were those of a bighorn sheep, but upon examination, it turns out they are human remains.
By the end of July 2022, park rangers were alerted by the discovery of additional remains, found along the newly formed beach and partially encased in mud.
But skeletons and other carcasses are not the only mysterious and terrifying appearances on Lake Mead.
Earlier the same month, a second world war era sunken boat started to show itself. As water levels continued to drop, more of the boat is revealed. It is a Higgins landing craft, just like the ones deployed at Normandy. This particular one was used to survey the Colorado river before it sank.
With the lake’s water levels on a steady decline, more and more secrets are waiting to be unearthed. For example, we know that a crashed B-29 plane has been deep underneath the lake’s surface since 1948. Could it potentially see the light of day again? The aircraft is still far below the surface, but with the way the reservoir is currently receding, it is not unreasonable to expect the plane to soar out of the water over the next decade.
People are both curious to see what other findings might get uncovered, while at the same time wishing for the water to rise again, sealing away all the history underneath. As tons of people heavily rely on the reservoir’s water supply, seeing it drop year by year is certainly troubling for surrounding residents and not only. While archeologists and scuba divers want to see more of what’s been submerged for decades, the same can not be said for the ones who actually use the reservoir’s water to support their livelihood.
However, lots of relic enthusiasts have been recently showing up to scan the shores of the now receding lake. They hope to uncover new mysteries and document their findings. Lake Mead sits in the middle of a natural reservation, which means visitors are not allowed to take anything they find with them. This doesn’t stop everybody, though, as authorities revealed earlier this year.
Curious tourists and explorers alike are finding decades-old objects on the lake’s shore each day. Fortunately, most of them report it to the authorities instead of taking them home.
For example, a YouTuber who specializes in scuba diving and exploration has found a boat filled with old items. Among these were some eating utensils, phones, plaques and even an old bottle of nail polish. All of these could be highly valuable to certain collectors, but none have been removed from their resting place so far.
Many secrets are still waiting to be uncovered and any day now, a new mystery might pop up!
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