What are oxbow lakes and how do they form?
A) Oxbow lakes are a stagnant part of a stream that is shaped like an ox's yoke.
B) Oxbow lakes are parts of the stream channel left after an avulsion when a stream abandons its channel.
C) Oxbow lakes are cut off meanders, left behind as a flooding stream takes a shorter path downstream.
D) Oxbow lakes are the name given to plunge pools below wide waterfalls.
E) Oxbow lakes are watering holes for oxen and cattle

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Oxbow lakes are cut off meanders, left behind as a flooding stream takes a shorter path downstream. Meanders are curves or loops in a river channel. When a river floods, it can take a shortcut through the neck of a meander, leaving the old, curved channel dry and forming an oxbow lake. Over time, the oxbow lake may become completely separated from the river channel and become a stagnant body of water.

What Are Oxbow Lakes and How Do They Form