Oxbow lakes

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, named after part of a yoke for oxen. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong.

Ecology

Connected Sites

Site Rationale Link
Chitwan National Park
Danube Delta See the map in the AB eval - Lake Belciug (No 18). And elsewhere in this paper .. "The right side includes oxbows with permanent vegetation, surrounded by the Sulina arm except during periods of high floods"
Kakadu National Park Yellow Water Billabong
Kaziranga National Park "The gangetic dolphin is also found in some of the closed oxbow lakes." (AB)
Kladruby nad Labem The Kladruby nad Labem stud farm occupies a flat terrain, still preserving the remains of oxbow lakes (AB ev)
Manu National Park Lake Salvador and Lake Otorongo
Pantanal See link page 4 table 1 for examples actually inside the inscribed areas e.g "Acurizal Preserve - Oxbow lake (shallow)"
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve "This reserve protects nearly the entire watershed of the 100km long Platano River, as well as major portions of the Paulaya, Guampu and Sicre Rivers. The rugged mountainous headwaters region, encompassing 75% of the reserve, is flanked by the Platano River and rises to Punta Piedra (1,326m). The river basin drains an area of some 130,000ha and meanders considerably in the lowland region, marooning several ox-bow lakes. "
Srebarna Nature Reserve Srebarna Lake (an oxbow of the Danube)
Wood Buffalo National Park "The delta, with the lowlands and floodplains of the Peace, Athabasca and Slave Rivers exemplify classic fluvial landforms, with a complex series of meander scars, oxbow lakes, ... " Taken from this IUCN documentation

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