Congaree National Park is home to a unique floodplain forest ecosystem, shaped by the meandering Congaree River. This river is fundamental for sustaining towering forests and forming oxbow lakes, which are U-shaped bodies of water created when a wide meander of a river is cut off from the main stream. The fluvial dynamics of the Congaree are a key example of how hydrological processes can sculpt landscapes and support exceptional biodiversity in floodplain environments.

The continuous interaction between the river and its floodplain is an active geomorphological process. As the Congaree River shifts across its plain, it deposits sediments and erodes its banks, contributing to the formation and evolution of these oxbow lakes and the renewal of forest soils. This dynamic of periodic floods and changes in the river's course is essential for the health and resilience of the forest ecosystem, which adapts to these natural cycles. Understanding these processes is crucial for the management and conservation of these valuable habitats.