A river constantly evolves and as it does, meanders that were once a part of the river are abandoned in favor of a route that is more efficient for a river to take. As these old meanders are cutoff from the rest of the river, a … See more

A chute cutoff channel can form during a flood resulting in an overbank flow where water goes over the banks of the river, creating See more

On 7 March 1876 a cutoff formed suddenly across the neck of a meander, known as the "Devil's Elbow", in the Mississippi River near Reverie, Tennessee, shortening the river's … See more

When either of these meander cutoff processes takes place a bend of the river is left behind forming, in many instances, an oxbow lake. An oxbow lake forms after there has been See more

Some research has been done to show importance. Cutoffs have been shown to limit the age of a river meander and thus how large that meander can get, without which in areas of … See more