Ox-bow Lake

• Stage 1 of an ox-bow lake forming

  • Erosion causes the bends to get closer until there is only a bit of land between them

  
• Stage 2 of an ox-bow lake forming

  • The river begins to break through this land during floods and the river flows along the shortest/easiest course.

  
• Stage 3 of an ox-bow lake forming

  • Deposition eventually cuts off the meander forming an ox-bow lake.

  
• What is an ox-bow lake?

  • A crescent shaped lake that forms when a meander is cut off from the main river

  
• Key Features of an Ox-Bow Lake:

  • Curved shape
  • Eventually dries up (becomes a meander scar)