Point Bar

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Here, a small point bar can be observed if you zoom in enough. Point bars are formed on the inner bank of river curves, and characteristically extend outward from the bank and appear to look like sand. When a variety of different materials are deposited, including sand, dirt, small rocks, etc. point bars are formed. This one is relatively small compared to others along meandering rivers, or mature rivers, but it still exhibits the concepts behind the formation. Water currents are less strong on the inner bank, which allows the different materials to be deposited. In the mapped location, it is at the inner bank of the beginning of a curve in the river, which is why the point bar formed in the location it is at. Over time, these point bars can grow and expand as they collect more deposits. Salt River has many easily recognizable point bars, along many meandering curves of the river. The point bar I mapped can eventually grow to be easily recognizable, but currently does not have enough deposits to appear larger. Overall, this is a good example of a point bar forming in the Mississippi river over time, and one day, the point bar could become very large if it continues to collect deposits. I have had experience with at least one point bar, although I didn’t know it was a point bar when I was there. Several years ago, I can still remember stopping to eat lunch on a point bar while floating down the river. There were many rocks, and there was a lot of sand, as it was a relatively large point bar to my knowledge. It didn’t stick out to me as anything extraordinary, but learning about them now, they seem to be a really cool topic!

Great Rivers Ecology
updated 07/2019 by Hulahan18167571