There’s a section https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/historyculture/gfmain.htm on the National Park Service’s website that discusses the restoration of Sequoia National Park’s “Giant Forest,” which contains one of the largest groves of the “[a]we-inspiring” sequoia trees that are found only on moist areas along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. This site gives a brief overview of “giants'” decision to commence the Giant Forest restoration project and of the goals of the project, then gives, at the end of the page, links to pages with before-and-after photos, descriptions of visitors’ experiences, information regarding the impact of human development on the area, and information regarding the natural ecosystem of the Great Forest and the successful restoration of the area’s soil and vegetation. I thought the before-and-after photos were particularly interesting because they illustrated just how much has changed since the commencement of the project in the late 1990s. The site said that since the project began, 231 acres of land have been restored and 282 buildings have been demolished (and the few visitor facilities that remain have been converted into buildings that can only be accessed/used during the daytime), but a picture is worth a thousand words. The before-and-after pictures illustrate just how much natural beauty human encroachment/development/influence robbed the forest of.

While the Giant Forest was saved from the devastating effects of logging when it was designated part of Sequoia National Park, the effects of human encroachment were still seen in the changed drainage patterns, the clearing of trees, and the depletion of topsoil organic matter. The Giant Forest was in desperate need of restoration, and thankfully, the restoration project started in the late 1990s was a resounding success in that it both achieved its original goal — to restore the natural landscape — and it demonstrated just how large an impact a group of dedicated conservationists can have.

The website ThoughtCo. offers various articles on multiple subjects, including physical geography, political geography, urban geography, climate, etc.  Their goal is to provide resources for students and teachers of geography through articles, images, maps, etc. that explore these various topics within geography.  One article within the category of physical geography explains oxbow lakes.

https://www.thoughtco.com/physical-geography-4133032

Oxbow Lake beside the Amazon River

Water in rivers flows faster on the outside of its curve than it does on the inside.  This creates erosion and decay that does not happen on the inside, creating the final curved shape.  The neck of the loop eventually erodes to the point of cutting itself off from the main river, creating the separate body of water known as the oxbow lake.  Oxbow lakes can also be initiated by humans in order to meet navigational needs.

Oxbow lakes are bodies of water that are cut off from the river in which it began.  They are unconnected but still close by since they were originally part of the river.  Oxbows get their name from the bow-like appearance of them, due to the nature of rivers’ curvature.  The water in these lakes no longer flows, but relies on precipitation, sometimes just becoming swamps.  Due to lack of outside water, these oxbow lakes often evaporate entirely within a few years of breaking off from the river.  As climate change continues to rise, these lakes will evaporate at faster rates.  This reinforces the rising issue of water scarcity and the impact that humans have on it.  In the United States, Oxbow lakes can be found along the Mississippi River and in Crater Lake, Iowa.