An 

oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed

when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is
cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an
oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape that results
from this process.

HOW ARE THEY FORMED? :

Summary:
An oxbow lake is formed when a river creates a
meander due to the river eroding the banks through
hydraulic action and abrasion/corrasion. After a
long period of time this meander becomes very
curved, and eventually the neck of the meander will
touch the opposite side and the river will cut through
the neck, cutting off the meander to form the oxbow
lake.

Detail: Nowitna River, Alaska

 When a river reaches a low-lying plain (near the
sediment storage zone), often in its final course
Artificial Oxbow Lakes:
to the sea or a lake, it meanders widely.
 In the vicinity Oxbow
of a river bend, deposition occurs
lakes may be formed when a
on the convex bank
river (the bank with
channel is thestraightened
smaller
radius). In contrast, both lateral erosion and
artificially
undercutting occur to improve
on the cut bank ornavigation
concave or
bank (the bank with the greater
for flood radius.)This occurred
alleviation.
 Continuous deposition
notably ononthethe convex bank Rhine in
upper and
erosion of the concave bank of a meandering river
cause the Germany
formationin the nineteenth
of a century.
very Its
length was reduced
pronounced meander with from 91banks
two concave to 77½
getting closer. miles.
 The narrow neck of land between the two
neighbouring concave banks is finally cut
through, either by lateral erosion of the two
concave banks or by the strong currents of
a flood.
 When this happens, a new straighter
river channel is created and an abandoned
meander loop, called a cut-off, is formed.
 When deposition finally seals off the cut-off from
the river channel, an oxbow lake is formed.
 This process can occur over a time scale from a
few years to several decades and may
sometimes become essentially static.