The lower course of a river is usually associated with the formation of

The lower course of a river is usually associated with the formation of ox-bow lakes. This is because the lower course of a river is where the river channel starts to flatten out and widen as it approaches its mouth, usually in a delta or estuary. The river's energy decreases in the lower course, resulting in a slower flow of water and deposition of sediment. Over time, the river erodes its banks and meanders or curves back and forth, creating loops known as meanders. As the meander loop becomes more pronounced, the river may cut through the narrow neck of land at the base of the loop, causing the river to flow along a straighter path, leaving behind an abandoned meander bend or oxbow lake. Therefore, oxbow lakes are formed as a result of the meandering and erosion processes in the lower course of a river.