Mystery island the size of TWO football fields suddenly appears in Canadian lake… then vanishes
A forested "island" roughly the size of two football pitches was spotted floating in the Williston Reservoir in northern British Columbia, Canada, in early August, before mysteriously disappearing weeks later. Officials from utility company BC Hydro were initially sceptical that the footage was genuine, fearing it might be AI-generated, but satellite images later confirmed the mass was real, prompting fresh public fascination with the phenomenon.
The floating landmass, estimated at around 105,500 sq ft, was first photographed by a local boater on 21 July and later filmed up close, showing trees bobbing on its surface. BC Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer said the reservoir being full for the first time in 14 years likely lifted driftwood and rooted trees that had built up along the shoreline during years of lower water levels, causing a chunk to break away and drift into open water. Although it vanished from more recent satellite imagery, Gammer said it had probably drifted back towards a sheltered part of the shore rather than sinking, and new photos posted on Facebook suggest it has since resurfaced elsewhere on the lake.
- A floating forested "island" appeared in a Canadian reservoir, then vanished
- BC Hydro confirmed it was real via satellite images, not AI-generated
- Likely caused by driftwood and trees lifted after record-high water levels
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Williston Reservoir is a large lake in northern British Columbia, created by the WAC Bennett Dam on the Peace River. Its water levels rise and fall, exposing and covering parts of the shoreline.
When water levels are low, driftwood and trees can collect along the banks. If the water rises, that material may lift and break away, carrying rooted trees with it. The reservoir’s changing shoreline helps explain how floating masses of vegetation can form and move.
BC Hydro operates the dam and reservoir, so its staff monitor conditions there. Floating debris can affect boating and reservoir management, while unusual sightings also raise questions about how landscapes change as water levels shift.
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