Floating island of uprooted trees appears and disappears in Canadian lake

Rising water levels in Williston Lake have repeatedly freed and submerged a mass of trees and woody debris, creating a temporary floating 'island' that has drawn attention from local residents and satellite imagery.

First covered Sep 4, 2026 · 9:09 AM PT · 1 article · no longer in the live window

Floating island of uprooted trees appears and disappears in Canadian lake — Image via theguardian.com

Coverage

22d Guardian Environment A mysterious 'island' appears and then disappears in Canada – video — A mysterious island has emerged in Williston Lake in Canada. A local resident shared a video of a floating 'island' with trees growing from it – which has…

More coverage from around the web

sciencealert.com A Mysterious Island Has Emerged in a Canadian Lake : ScienceAlert

nationalgeographic.com Canada Has a New Forested Floating Island. Scientists Think It Used to Have Many More. | National Geographic

cbc.ca Lost island in northern B.C. lake — that appeared then disappeared — located, says B.C. Hydro | CBC News

scientificamerican.com Why this Canadian island appeared to disappear | Scientific American

smithsonianmag.com A Lake in Canada Got a Mysterious New Island. Then, It Disappeared—and Now It's Back

Appeared in: 2026-09-07 (#9)

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