Meander (River)

A river meander is a winding curve or bend in a river’s path. Over time, flowing water erodes the outer banks of a bend and deposits sediment on the inner banks, causing the bends to become more pronounced. This process results in a sinuous, looping shape. Meanders typically form in flat, forgiving landscapes where the river has room to move gently side to side. They are natural features that influence the landscape, creating features like oxbow lakes when a meander loop is cut off from the main flow.