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A massive floating island has emerged in Williston Lake (Williston Reservoir), the largest reservoir in British Columbia, Canada, and then disappeared shortly after.

The details of the event, confirmed by B.C. Hydro (British Columbia’s hydroelectric and energy utility), are as follows:

The existence of this floating mass, noticed by local boaters in July 2026 and covered with trees, was officially confirmed by the institution with satellite images dated July 21.
Approximately 70 meters wide and 140 meters long (total 9,800 square meters), this structure was determined to have formed over years by waves accumulating on the lake shore, decaying plants, and tree roots interlocking.
As the water level in the reservoir reached its highest point in the last 14 years, this mass broke off from the shore and drifted into open water.
As of August, the island could not be detected in new satellite images. Institution officials believe the island did not sink; it may have drifted to a more sheltered area on the shoreline due to the effect of the wind.

How does this happen?

The formation and movement of floating islands (floating peat or organic masses) is a scientific phenomenon resulting from the combination of hydrological and botanical processes. This occurs through the following physical stages:

1. Accumulation of Organic Matter and Root Network: Over the years, decaying plants, peat, mosses, branches, and tree roots on lake shores intertwine to form a thick, spongy layer. This structure is not a heavy mass of soil in the classical sense, but rather a tightly woven light organic network. It can form a stable ground sturdy enough for even trees to grow on.
2. Buoyancy and Gas Entrapment: As organic masses decay underwater or in marshy areas, gases such as methane and carbon dioxide are released. These gases become trapped within the thick root and peat network. The trapped gases and the voids within the mass act as a buoy, allowing the massive structure to remain afloat.
3. Detachment Process: When the water level in reservoirs rises significantly above normal, the upward buoyancy of the water becomes stronger than the organic layer’s connection to the shore or bottom. Roots stretch, break, and the mass tears away from the shore, beginning to float like an independent raft.
4. Drifting and Disappearance: Since these islands that emerge on the water surface do not have deep roots, they move under the influence of winds and surface currents. The main reasons for an island “disappearing” from satellite view are:
   • Drifting into one of the lake’s indented shorelines (a cove) due to the wind, merging with the forested area there, and visually appearing as part of the mainland.
   • Breaking apart due to the intensity of wind and waves in open water, dividing into smaller pieces undetectable by satellite.

Are there different examples?

Globally and in Turkey, there are various floating island (peat and organic root mass) areas formed through hydrological and botanical processes.

Examples in Turkey

1. Çat Dam Lake (Çelikhan, Adıyaman): It has a mechanism directly similar to the Williston Lake case in Canada. After the construction of the dam, as the water level rose, the grassy and reedy masses remaining at the bottom lost their connection to the ground and emerged to the water surface, forming floating islands.
2. Turna Lake (Solhan, Bingöl): It is one of Turkey’s official natural monuments. On Turna Lake, a small crater lake, there are three independent floating islands that shift with the wind and have dwarf ash trees growing on them.
3. Arsiyan Plateau Lakes (Şavşat, Artvin): In the high-altitude lakes within the plateau, there are organic peat islets formed by water plants and decayed root remnants intertwining over the years, capable of moving by human or wind power.

Examples Worldwide

1. Loktak Lake (India): Known for its massive floating masses, locally called “phumdi,” composed of vegetation and organic matter turned into soil. The largest of these islands functions as an official national park, home to the endangered Sangai deer.
2. Inle Lake (Myanmar): These are thick, floating organic beds formed by bringing together bottom vegetation and organic mud, used by local people directly on the water for agricultural purposes.
3. Minnesota Swamps (USA): In the lakes of the region, thick peat masses, reaching several hectares in size, break off from the shore or swamp bottom due to instantaneous changes in water level and wind, beginning to float freely and sometimes damaging boats on the shore.