holtágak
Holtágak are abandoned or inactive branches of a river channel found in floodplains. The term, used in Hungarian hydrology, refers to river arms that no longer form a part of the active river network. A holtág can appear as a U-shaped oxbow lake when the connecting neck is cut off, or as a disused arm that remains intermittently or seasonally wet.
They form mainly through river meandering and cutoff processes. When a river cuts through the neck of
Holtágak are typically located in broad floodplains and lowland river systems. They often contain fine alluvial
They serve as habitats for wetland plants, amphibians, birds, and fish; they also act as floodplain reservoirs,
Historically and in contemporary land use, holtágak may be managed for biodiversity conservation, flood mitigation, or