What may form an oxbow river alongside a river?

An oxbow river forms when a meandering river cuts off a loop or bend, creating a new, straighter channel. This typically occurs during periods of flooding or high flow, where erosion on the outer bank of a bend and sediment deposition on the inner bank lead to the river channel shifting. Over time, the abandoned bend becomes isolated, forming an oxbow lake, which can eventually silt up and become a wetland or dry land.