Overview
- BC Hydro said Monday that the tree-covered mass was located resting on the shoreline in the Ospika Arm and appears intact while officials continue to monitor its movement.
- Satellite imagery first confirmed the floating feature on July 21 and showed it had vanished from updated snapshots by about August 5 before reappearing ashore in mid-August.
- BC Hydro estimates the formation at roughly 70 metres by 140 metres, describes it as a loose mat of logs and vegetation, and warns the surface is unstable and unsafe to approach.
- The utility’s working explanation is that years of driftwood and decomposing shoreline material with plants were lifted free when Williston Reservoir reached its highest level in 14 years and spillways were opened.
- Local boaters, First Nation members and scientists have shown interest in studying the origin and movement, and BC Hydro says it will act only if the mass fragments into a debris field that could threaten boats or infrastructure.