It’s made up of alluvium (deposited silt from a river flood).

Find out more about landforms in the lower course of the river.

Levees are naturally raised riverbanks found along the sides of the river channel that has experienced flooding.

Find out more about landforms in the lower course of the river.

A flood plain is a large area of flat land on either side of the river that experiences or has experienced flooding.

Find out more about landforms in the lower course of the river.

Characteristics of a flood plain include:

• A large area of flat land either side of a river
• layers of alluvium cover the flood plain
• a river bluff along the edge of a flood plain
• meander scars
• levees
• rich, fertile soil
• reeds and marsh plants

Find out more about landforms in the lower course of the river.

Floodplains form due to erosion and deposition. Erosion removes any interlocking spurs, creating a wide, flat area on either side of the river. During a flood, the material being carried by the river is deposited (as the river loses its speed and energy to transport material). Over time, the height of the floodplain increases as the material is deposited on either side of the river. The floodplain is often a wide, flat area caused by meanders shifting along the valley.

Find out more about landforms in the lower course of the river.