{ "story_id": "c6d21493e674a00c9947104de01c802b", "desk": "drm3", "revision": 1, "published_at": "2026-09-02T03:00:00.000Z", "content_hash": "19cf0f1d763a367d0c81f0098e535ea3cbe76ace88e332552a3f121b33cb1bb7", "hash_basis": "sha256 over `headline\\ndek\\nprose`, plus `\\n` + the canonical citations JSON when any source is placed, plus `\\n#blog` for blogs", "basis": { "headline": "Mysterious Floating Island Reappears in Northern British Columbia", "dek": "Boaters in northern British Columbia are warned to avoid a floating island that drifted 30 kilometers on Williston Lake.", "prose": "Boaters in northern British Columbia are being warned to stay away from a mysterious floating island that has reappeared on Williston Lake after drifting about 30 kilometres in two weeks. [^1]\n\nRocky Avery, a resident of British Columbia, spotted a large mass of green vegetation floating freely on Williston Lake while boating. [^2]\n\nSatellite imagery from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellite confirmed that the floating mass is a real object located in Williston Lake. [^3]\n\nLocal resident Rocky Avery posted videos on social media showing a large floating island covered in trees and vegetation moving across Lake Wabamun in British Columbia, Canada. [^4]\n\nA mysterious forested island approximately one hectare in size appeared in the Williston Reservoir in British Columbia, Canada, and was later confirmed to have moved and disappeared. [^5]\n\nBC Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer said he initially thought reports of the island covered in trees and foliage on Williston Lake were a hoax, but satellite images confirmed its existence in mid-August. [^6]\n\nGammer said the island appears to be intact, is about 140 meters long and about 70 meters wide, and is naturally unstable, making it unsafe to climb onto or land a boat on. [^7]\n\nThe floating island, measuring about one hectare, disappeared and was then spotted again on Monday after travelling about 30 kilometres northwest on the reservoir. [^8]\n\nBarry officials noted that Williston Lake has reached full capacity for the first time in 14 years, and rising water levels likely tore a section of the vegetated shore loose. [^9]\n\nExperts describe the floating object as a giant raft of vegetation with interlocked roots rather than a traditional island. [^10]\n\nBC Hydro officials stated that record-high water levels, the first in 14 years, likely caused the island to form by freeing debris that was previously stuck along the shoreline. [^11]\n\nSatellite images from the Sentinel-2 system, operated by the European Space Agency, captured the green surface approximately 100 kilometers west of the W. A. C. Bennett Dam on July 21, 2026. [^12]", "cited": "[{\"statement\":\"Boaters in northern British Columbia are being warned to stay away from a mysterious floating island that has reappeared on Williston Lake after drifting about 30 kilometres in two weeks.\",\"source\":\"Winnipeg Free Press\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-01T17:25:54.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Winnipeg Free Press\"]},{\"statement\":\"Rocky Avery, a resident of British Columbia, spotted a large mass of green vegetation floating freely on Williston Lake while boating.\",\"source\":\"Ekonomim\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-01T09:05:00.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Ekonomim\"]},{\"statement\":\"Satellite imagery from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellite confirmed that the floating mass is a real object located in Williston Lake.\",\"source\":\"Ekonomim\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-01T09:05:00.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Ekonomim\"]},{\"statement\":\"Local resident Rocky Avery posted videos on social media showing a large floating island covered in trees and vegetation moving across Lake Wabamun in British Columbia, Canada.\",\"source\":\"Nezavisne novine\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-01T17:07:00.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Nezavisne novine\"]},{\"statement\":\"A mysterious forested island approximately one hectare in size appeared in the Williston Reservoir in British Columbia, Canada, and was later confirmed to have moved and disappeared.\",\"source\":\"DER STANDARD\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-02T03:00:00.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"DER STANDARD\"]},{\"statement\":\"BC Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer said he initially thought reports of the island covered in trees and foliage on Williston Lake were a hoax, but satellite images confirmed its existence in mid-August.\",\"source\":\"Winnipeg Free Press\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-01T17:25:54.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Winnipeg Free Press\"]},{\"statement\":\"Gammer said the island appears to be intact, is about 140 meters long and about 70 meters wide, and is naturally unstable, making it unsafe to climb onto or land a boat on.\",\"source\":\"Winnipeg Free Press\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-01T17:25:54.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Winnipeg Free Press\"]},{\"statement\":\"The floating island, measuring about one hectare, disappeared and was then spotted again on Monday after travelling about 30 kilometres northwest on the reservoir.\",\"source\":\"Winnipeg Free Press\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-01T17:25:54.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Winnipeg Free Press\"]},{\"statement\":\"Barry officials noted that Williston Lake has reached full capacity for the first time in 14 years, and rising water levels likely tore a section of the vegetated shore loose.\",\"source\":\"Ekonomim\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-01T09:05:00.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Ekonomim\"]},{\"statement\":\"Experts describe the floating object as a giant raft of vegetation with interlocked roots rather than a traditional island.\",\"source\":\"Ekonomim\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-01T09:05:00.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Ekonomim\"]},{\"statement\":\"BC Hydro officials stated that record-high water levels, the first in 14 years, likely caused the island to form by freeing debris that was previously stuck along the shoreline.\",\"source\":\"Nezavisne novine\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-01T17:07:00.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Nezavisne novine\"]},{\"statement\":\"Satellite images from the Sentinel-2 system, operated by the European Space Agency, captured the green surface approximately 100 kilometers west of the W. A. C. Bennett Dam on July 21, 2026.\",\"source\":\"Nezavisne novine\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-01T17:07:00.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Nezavisne novine\"]}]", "kind": "news" }, "receipt_verify": "Ed25519 over the dot-joined string `slice_hash.cursor_from.cursor_to.view.view_version.row_count`; public_key and sig are base64url of the raw 32-byte key / 64-byte signature", "receipt": null, "receipt_note": "this revision predates receipt-keeping (before v0.37.0); the filed row lives in the record", "generation_chain": { "wire": { "stream": "fountain_news", "story_id": "25b0a3a8e70205f92800af8d5218c271", "thread_id": "86105e95d9380d576135b0e184b11f8d", "thread_label": "W. A. C. 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"Boaters in northern British Columbia are being warned to stay away from a mysterious floating island that has reappeared on Williston Lake after drifting about 30 kilometres in two weeks.", "source": "Winnipeg Free Press", "instrument": "News", "claim_key": null, "published_at": "2026-09-01T17:25:54.000Z", "publisher_count": 1, "sources": [ "Winnipeg Free Press" ] }, { "statement": "Rocky Avery, a resident of British Columbia, spotted a large mass of green vegetation floating freely on Williston Lake while boating.", "source": "Ekonomim", "instrument": "News", "claim_key": null, "published_at": "2026-09-01T09:05:00.000Z", "publisher_count": 1, "sources": [ "Ekonomim" ] }, { "statement": "Satellite imagery from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellite confirmed that the floating mass is a real object located in Williston Lake.", "source": "Ekonomim", "instrument": "News", "claim_key": null, "published_at": "2026-09-01T09:05:00.000Z", "publisher_count": 1, "sources": [ "Ekonomim" ] }, { "statement": "Local resident Rocky Avery posted videos on social media showing a large floating island covered in trees and vegetation moving across Lake Wabamun in British Columbia, Canada.", "source": "Nezavisne novine", "instrument": "News", "claim_key": null, "published_at": "2026-09-01T17:07:00.000Z", "publisher_count": 1, "sources": [ "Nezavisne novine" ] }, { "statement": "A mysterious forested island approximately one hectare in size appeared in the Williston Reservoir in British Columbia, Canada, and was later confirmed to have moved and disappeared.", "source": "DER STANDARD", "instrument": "News", "claim_key": null, "published_at": "2026-09-02T03:00:00.000Z", "publisher_count": 1, "sources": [ "DER STANDARD" ] }, { "statement": "BC Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer said he initially thought reports of the island covered in trees and foliage on Williston Lake were a hoax, but satellite images confirmed its existence in mid-August.", "source": "Winnipeg Free 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years, and rising water levels likely tore a section of the vegetated shore loose.", "source": "Ekonomim", "instrument": "News", "claim_key": null, "published_at": "2026-09-01T09:05:00.000Z", "publisher_count": 1, "sources": [ "Ekonomim" ] }, { "statement": "Experts describe the floating object as a giant raft of vegetation with interlocked roots rather than a traditional island.", "source": "Ekonomim", "instrument": "News", "claim_key": null, "published_at": "2026-09-01T09:05:00.000Z", "publisher_count": 1, "sources": [ "Ekonomim" ] }, { "statement": "BC Hydro officials stated that record-high water levels, the first in 14 years, likely caused the island to form by freeing debris that was previously stuck along the shoreline.", "source": "Nezavisne novine", "instrument": "News", "claim_key": null, "published_at": "2026-09-01T17:07:00.000Z", "publisher_count": 1, "sources": [ "Nezavisne novine" ] }, { "statement": "Satellite images from the Sentinel-2 system, operated by the European 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