Lake Mead Suspects to Face Trial After 140-Million-Year-Old Rocks Damaged

Two Nevada men accused of damaging rock formations at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area are set to face trial on October 8.
Wyatt Clifford Fain, 37, and Payden David Guy Cosper, 31, were charged with one count of injury and depredation of government property and one count of aiding and abetting. The rock formations are estimated to be 140 million years old and the damage is irreversible.
The men could each face up to a decade in prison if convicted, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Park rangers sought the public’s help in identifying two visitors who were caught on camera on April 7 destroying the ancient rock formations. The video showed two visitors climbing the rock formations and pushing slabs of sandstone to the ground.
The two men were reportedly hiking on or near the Redstone Dunes Trail.
Recreation area spokesperson John Haynes called the destruction “appalling.”
“Why on earth would you do this to this area that’s so beautiful? Haynes told KVVU in April. “It’s one of my favorite places in the park and they’re up there just destroying it. I don’t understand that.
“Why would you even do something like this? Like, why on earth would you do this? This almost feels like a personal attack in a way.”
The Redstone Dune Formations are located within the protected Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which is managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Almost 5.8 million people visited the park last year, according to the National Park Service.
The dunes are mostly made of Aztec sandstone, which is ancient desert sand that has been compacted and cemented into rock. The rock was then shaped by wind and water erosion over thousands of years. The formations gain their striking red color from the presence of iron oxide within the sandstone.
Fain and Cosper, both Henderson residents, were arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service and made their first court appearance on Friday. Both pleaded not guilty and were released on a personal recognizance bond.
Authorities said Fain and Cosper pushed rock formations over a cliff edge around Redstone Dunes Trail, resulting in damages of more than $1,000.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area includes the Lake Mead reservoir, a key source of water for 25 million people in the region. Drought conditions in recent years have drastically depleted its resources, and water levels are being closely watched as they continue to fluctuate.
Last week, a new study warned that water reservoirs across the continental U.S. are experiencing more severe, prolonged and unpredictable periods of low water storage compared to several decades ago.