A meandering stream consists of successive bends called meanders that form through the erosion of sediments from the outside of bends and deposition on the inside. This process causes the stream channel to move back and forth across the landscape over time. Meanders are most prominent in the lower reaches of rivers as they slow over flatter land. Features that result from meandering include point bars of deposited sediment on the inside of bends, natural levees of sediment along river banks, and oxbow lakes that are formed when neck cuts off during floods.

2. Meandering Stream :
• A stream consisting of successive
meanders.
– A meander in general is a bend in a sinous watercourse.

3. Formation :
•A meander is formed when the moving water in a
river changes its speed of water eroding sediments
from the outside of a bend and depositing them on
the inside.
•Combination of the erosion and deposition helps
expand the size of the meander.
•The result is a ’movement of snake’ pattern as the
stream meanders back and forth across its down-
valley axis.

4. River flow
movement
Pool Riffle
Deposition on
inside
Erosion on outside
The meanders are found in the
lower part of the course as all
rivers flow down a slope
towards the sea and will take
the easiest route available.
However, the geology of the
land means a river will rarely
flow in a straight path so this is
why it will meander. The rates
of deposition and lateral
erosion are highest at this part
of the river.
Inside bend
Outside bend

5. Flow In Meanders :
 Helical Flow
◦ It is the major flow in the meander bends.
◦ This flow causes an elevation of water level on the
outside of meander.
◦ The water flows in a cork screw motion called helical
flow.

6. Features :
 These includes;
◦ Channel Lag – below the common floor the coarsest
material is sorted out & left behind on the stream bed.
◦ Point Bar - sediments accumulatation on the convex side
of the meandering loop .
◦ Overbank Deposits – deposition of sediments by a river on
a valley floor outside the stream channel resulting in five
layer of sand deposition.
◦ Natural Levees - mounds of soil piled up along the rivers
edge each time the river floods
◦ Crevasse-splays – spilling of large quantities of water &
sediments at the time of flood from the river bank.
◦ OX Bow Lake - lake created when growing meanders
intersect with each other & cut off a meander loop.

8. Formation of an Oxbow Lake :
 Oxbow lakes are created when growing meanders intersect each other and
cut off a meander loop. This occurs when meanders grow literally through
errosion & deposition.
 It includes four stages :-
1. When rivers flow over flatter land they develop large bends called
meanders.
2. Inside of the bend there is much less water making the river deep & slow
flowing.

9. 3. During flood, the river will cut right through the neck i.e the river will take new
shorter loop.
4. With the fastest current in the centre of the river deposition occurs next to the
banks.