A huge forested island appeared in a British Columbia reservoir, disappeared and resurfaced 30 km away 15 days later with trees, birds and other animals still on board.

In the summer of 2026, workers and residents around the Williston Reservoir in northern British Columbia witnessed something that seemed like folklore: a large, forested island broke free from the shore, floated across the lake, disappeared from view, and then appeared again about 30 kilometers away, still with mature trees, nesting birds, and other wildlife. The “ghost island,” as some locals began calling it, had broken away from the saturated, peaty soils along the edge of the reservoir and was carried by wind and currents before running aground again downstream. As Smithsonian Magazine reported, the event captivated the public and led scientists to study how climate change, reservoir operations and fragile northern soils may be creating more of these drifting land masses.A reservoir in a remote and changing landscapeWilliston Reservoir, formed by the WAC Bennett Dam on the Peace River, is one of the largest man-made lakes in North America. It stretches for more than 170 kilometers through a rugged, boreal landscape of spruce, pine, wetlands and peat bogs. The region is remote, sparsely populated, and rich in wildlife, including bears, moose, waterfowl, and numerous songbirds.Like many northern ecosystems, this area is warming faster than the global average. Permafrost is melting, precipitation patterns are changing, and reservoir levels fluctuate in response to hydropower demand and seasonal flows. All of these factors affect the stability of the coast, the saturation of the soil and the way in which the vegetation is anchored, or not, to the ground.The first appearance of the island.The story began when reservoir operators and local observers noticed a new island where none existed before. It was not a small sandbar or gravel spit, but a substantial piece of land: tens of meters wide, covered with mature trees, bushes and dirt, and already being used by birds and other animals.At first, many assumed it was a previously submerged feature exposed by falling water levels. But as the days passed, the “island” did not stay still. Instead, it began to move, slowly moving away from the shore as if it were a giant raft. It was then that it became clear: this was not a fixed island at all, but rather a huge slab of earth and vegetation that had broken away from the coast and was floating in the reservoir.How can a forest float?Floating islands are rare but not unknown. They form when thick layers of vegetation, roots, peat and soil become buoyant enough to rise from the underlying substrate and float on the surface of the water. In northern peatlands, this process is facilitated by: thick layers of partially decomposed plant material (peat), which are light and spongy; high water tables that saturate soils and reduce friction between layers; and root systems that bind the surface mat together, allowing it to move as a single unit.Additional factors come into play around reservoirs. Fluctuating water levels can undermine shorelines, while wind and wave action can loosen large sections of vegetated soil. When conditions align, an entire forested area can break free and begin to move.The 15-day trip through WillistonOnce separated, the island was carried away by a combination of wind, currents and possibly seiches (standing waves) in the reservoir. For about 15 days, it traveled approximately 30 kilometers from its point of origin, moving slowly but steadily through open water.During this time, the island was not just a passive object. It remained intact enough to support mature trees, including spruces and other conifers, still rooted in the ground mat; bushes and ground vegetation that continued to grow and transpire; birds that nested or slept on the island, treating it like any other piece of land; and small mammals, insects and possibly amphibians that rode between the soil and the vegetation.For observers in the water and along the coast, the sight was surreal: a moving forest area, complete with wildlife, gliding across a vast reservoir.Disappearance and rediscoveryAt one point during its voyage, the island fell out of sight, either drifting behind a point of land, towards a less monitored arm of the reservoir, or simply becoming difficult to distinguish from the surrounding coastal vegetation. For a time, it seemed to have disappeared, fueling speculation and local storytelling.Then, about 15 days after it was first sighted, the island was spotted again, now stranded along a different section of the reservoir, about 30 kilometers from where it started. It had not broken or sunk; the trees were still standing, the layer of soil was still coherent, and the animals were still using it. Indeed, a functioning ecosystem had crossed the lake and settled in a new location.Why scientists are paying attentionEvents like this are more than curiosities; They are indicators of how northern landscapes are responding to changing conditions. Researchers are interested in several questions, such as:How often do floating islands form in Williston and other northern reservoirs?What role do thawing permafrost, saturated peat and reservoir level fluctuations play in the calving of these landmasses?How far can they travel and where do they ultimately end up?What are the implications for wildlife, carbon storage and reservoir operations?Floating islands can transport nutrients, seeds and organisms to new areas, potentially altering local ecosystems. They can also pose a danger to ship navigation and, if they break, release pulses of organic material into the water. In a warming north, these phenomena may become more common.A symbol of a landscape in motion.For local residents and workers, the drifting island is both fascinating and disturbing. It underlines how dynamic the reservoir’s coastline can be and how climate change is making familiar landscapes appear less stable. Trees that once seemed firmly rooted can, under the right (or wrong) conditions, become passengers on a slow, watery journey.At the same time, the island’s survival – transporting trees, birds and other animals across 30 kilometers of open water – speaks to the resilience of these ecosystems. Even separated from the ground, the living community stayed together, adapted and found a new place to rest.What comes next?Following the island’s reappearance, scientists and reservoir managers are discussing how to monitor similar events in the future. Possibilities include: using satellite imagery and drone surveys to detect new floating islands early; track your movement with tags or GPS markers where possible; study the composition of soil and vegetation to understand what makes some patches more likely to break off; and incorporate floating island dynamics into reservoir management and climate adaptation plans.For now, Williston’s “ghost island” remains a striking example of how quickly and dramatically northern landscapes can change. In a single summer, a forested island appeared, disappeared and reappeared dozens of kilometers away, taking with it its trees and its tenants: a reminder that in a warming world, even the ground beneath our feet may not stay where we expect. A huge forested island appeared in a British Columbia reservoir, disappeared and then resurfaced 30 km away 15 days later, with trees, birds and other animals still on board.