FORMATION OF A MEANDERING RIVER AND THE OXBOW LAKE STAGE A meander is a river that flows in a winding or curving pattern. Meanders are formed due to a combination of erosion and deposition processes. This phenomenon typically occurs in the middle to lower course of a river. Why does this happen? Because in these areas, vertical erosion is replaced by lateral erosion, and deposition becomes more prominent across the floodplain or flat land beside the river. The process of meander formation occurs