Mysterious island emerges then disappears in remote reservoir

Key Points:

• A massive, tree-covered floating island mysteriously appeared in British Columbia’s Williston Reservoir in early July and vanished by early August, confirmed by satellite imagery.
• The island measured approximately 230 feet wide and 460 feet long, nearly the size of two NFL football fields, and was first reported by a local boater and shared on social media.
• BC Hydro, the government-owned utility managing the reservoir, initially doubted the island’s existence due to limited reports and concerns about image authenticity but later confirmed it through satellite data.
• Officials theorize the island formed from accumulated driftwood and debris along the shoreline, with plants and trees taking root over time, possibly displaced by unusually high water levels and dam spillway releases this year.
• BC Hydro does not anticipate operational issues from the floating island but continues to monitor the reservoir in case it reappears; Williston Reservoir is one of the world’s largest man-made lakes, created in 1968.