// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Apparent human remains found in US reservoir as water levels hit record low
Water levels at Lake Mead have been dropping due to a drought
Potential human remains, including a jaw with teeth still attached, have been recovered from the largest reservoir in the US, officials said, as an ongoing drought causes water levels to drop across western states.
The US National Park Service said it received reports of apparent skeletal remains at Boulder Beach on Lake Mead, Nevada, on 16 August.
"National Park Service rangers and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene," the service said in a statement seen by the BBC's US partner CBS.
The service added that the incident "remains under investigation, and no additional information is available at this time".
A woman and her friend spotted the bones while visiting the Nevada side of the reservoir, which is located on the border with Arizona.
Dianelis Molina Cruz told CBS affiliate KLAS: "My friend was playing with the rocks in the lake, and then he grabbed the jaw. And when he looked, he saw the teeth and everything."
Her friend Noel De Leon suggested the low water levels at Lake Mead contributed to the recovery of the potential human remains.
"The water looks very low compared to where it should be," he said. "As the water goes down, the skeletons come up."
Water levels at Lake Mead, which is the largest reservoir in the US, have been declining since 2000.