Williston Reservoir’s Floating Island Is Fascinating

 

 

A strange phenomenon in Williston Reservoir, the largest reservoir in British Columbia, Canada, is gaining international attention. A huge island filled with plants and trees is floating in the water, disappearing and reappearing in other places.

This ‘floating forest’, about 70 meters wide and 140 meters long, is the size of a football field. It was first seen near Finlay Bay in Williston Reservoir in July. It was clear in satellite images, but by August it had disappeared. Weeks later, the island was found washed up on the other side of the reservoir in strong winds.

Williston is the seventh largest artificial reservoir in the world. Officials say it is difficult to find the island in this huge body of water, which is about 250 kilometers long. The reservoir is currently at its highest level in 14 years. It is believed that the area, which had been a tangle of rotting logs and tree roots for years, may have been separated from the shore and floated in the water as the water level rose.

This island, which has formed over the years, is believed to be home to various species of fish, birds, small creatures, and trees. The strong links of tree roots have kept it from sinking. Although it looks like an island from a fairy tale, scientists warn that climbing on it is quite dangerous and that no one should try to get on it.

Canada's electricity agency BC Hydro has stated that this is not a threat to the dam at the moment. Floating islands formed by soil and roots in a similar way have been found in Chippewa Lake in Wisconsin, USA.