Braid bar

These formations have many names, including medial, longitudinal, crescentic, and transverse bars, as well as the more colloquial sandflat.

Alternatively, an obstacle such as a wedged log can result in the formation of a mid-channel bar if sediment is deposited along the feature.

[1] Braided rivers can have variable, erratic flows, which can lead to successive periods of greater deposition or erosion.

[1]  Compared to a braid bar, an island is regarded as having a more permanent and potentially larger structure that can influence, to some degree, the path of the river.

[5] This is in part due to the nature of many braided rivers, where variable flow discharge can create a hostile environment for any significant vegetation.

A braided river in Denali National Park, AK, showing a number of braid bars.
Braided channels of the Sagavanirktok River, AK, showing a number of braid bars.