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When there is high discharge (amounts of water in the channel) the river

cuts straight through the neck of the meander as a shortcut

Over time the meanders change shape and migrate across the flood plain

The old meander is left isolated, forming an oxbow lake which is shaped

like a horseshoe

Deposition through the new channel eventually seals off the old meander forming a

straighter river channel

The main reason oxbow lakes form is that the deeper water on

the outer bend continues to be eroded by hydraulic action

The formation of Ox Bow Lakes due to meanders...

The reduced speed means that material carried in the river is deposited. This

creates a 'slip off slope' (small beach) over time

On the inner bend the water flows more slowly. This is because the shallow water

means more friction between the water and river bed

The high velocity of the water causes high levels of hydraulic action and

abrasion, so the river is undercut, and a river cliff is formed

Water is directed towards the outer bend, so that's where the water flows fastest. This is because the

water is deeper so there is less friction between the water and river bed

The meander is asymetrical

Over time, the lake dries up and fills with mud leaving a meander scar