Oxbow Lake - As a river goes around a meander (a bend in the river), the outside of the river goes faster. Therefore on the outer side of the meander, there is more erosion. On the inside, the river is slower so there is more deposition. Over time the outsides of two bends get closer, the neck of a meander will be eroded by the fast flowing river, eventually eroding through so the bends of the river meet. The water will, therefore, flow straight instead of going around the meander. Deposition occurs where the new and old river channel meets, cutting off the old meander. Eventually new land will from here, leaving a horseshoe-shaped lake called an oxbow lake