A meandering stream carrying a large sediment load will drop that load where?

• A. On the inside of the curve
• B. On the outside of the curve
• C. In the middle of the channel
• D. On the channel bed

Answer: (A)

In a meander, secondary flow causes the outer bend to experience higher velocity and erosion, while the inner bend has slower flow and the sediment tends to settle there. With a large sediment load, particles drop out where the energy is reduced, which is along the inside of the curve, building up a point bar on that inner bank. So the sediment is deposited on the inside of the curve. The outer bend is where erosion happens, the middle of the channel doesn’t favor deposition, and deposition along the entire channel bed isn’t the typical pattern in a meander.