An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed

when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is

cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an
oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape that results
from this process.
HOW ARE THEY FORMED? :
Summary:
An oxbow lake is formed when a river creates a
meander due to the river eroding the banks through
hydraulic action and abrasion/corrasion. After a
long period of time this meander becomes very
curved, and eventually the neck of the meander will
touch the opposite side and the river will cut through
the neck, cutting off the meander to form the oxbow
lake.

Detail: Nowitna River, Alaska

• When a river reaches a low-lying plain (near the
sediment storage Artificial
zone), Oxbow
often Lakes:
in its final course
to the sea or a lake, it meanders widely.
• Oxbow
In the vicinity of a riverlakes
bend,may be formed
deposition when a
occurs
on the convex bankriver (the channel
bank withis the straightened
smaller
radius). In contrast, bothtolateral
artificially improve erosion and or
navigation
undercutting occur on the cut bank or concave
for flood alleviation. This occurred
bank (the bank with the greater radius.)
notably ononthe the
• Continuous deposition convex upper
bank Rhine
and in
erosion of the concave
Germany bank of anineteenth
in the meandering river Its
century.
cause the formation of a very
length was reduced from 91 to 77½
pronounced meander with two concave banks
getting closer. miles.
• The narrow neck of land between the two
neighbouring concave banks is finally cut
through, either by lateral erosion of the two
concave banks or by the strong currents of
a flood.
• When this happens, a new straighter
river channel is created and an abandoned
meander loop, called a cut-off, is formed.
• When deposition finally seals off the cut-off from
the river channel, an oxbow lake is formed.
• This process can occur over a time scale from a
few years to several decades and may
sometimes become essentially static.