Human remains found in Lake Powell amid shrinking water levels

By Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use. Read Full Bio August 21, 2026 / 1:39 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google A set of human remains has been found in Lake Powell, authorities said, as the reservoir on the Utah-Arizona border contends with a historic drought and low water levels. The Kane County Sheriff's Office was called to the site on August 14 after the discovery was made by a group on a houseboat, officials said Thursday. Investigators from the office and rangers from the National Park Service responded and collected the remains. The sheriff's office did not offer any details about what was discovered. Authorities said the remains had been transported to the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office "for autopsy and possible identification." "The case is still under investigation in hopes of finding the identification of the person to provide closure to the family," the sheriff's office said. Lake Powell, on the Colorado River, is one of the nation's largest reservoirs. It, like Lake Mead about 300 miles downstream, is dealing with rapidly shrinking water levels caused by a warming climate and population growth. Water flows from the Glen Canyon Dam into the Colorado River on June 7, 2026 in Page, Arizona. The prolonged drought in the West has reduced the water levels in Lake Powell, behind the dam. George Frey / Getty Images Each reservoir is less than 30% full. If the water level in Lake Powell falls 33 more feet, the reservoir will no longer meet the water levels needed to generate hydroelectric power at the Glen Canyon Dam. That would affect power supplies for more than 5 million people in six states. The low levels have also led to a number of gruesome discoveries. Human skeletal remains, including a jaw with the teeth still attached, were found in Lake Mead earlier this week. A dip in water levels in 2022 led to several discoveries of human remains in the reservoir. That included a set of male remains discovered in a metal barrel. After investigating, Las Vegas police determined the man had been shot and ruled his death a homicide. Several other sets of remains, including those of a man who vanished in 1998 and those of multiple drowning victims, were also found in 2022. In: Body Found Utah Millions at risk of power and water shortages as two of nation's largest reservoirs dry up 01:00 Millions at risk of power and water shortages as two of nation's largest reservoirs dry up (01:00)