<p>River Groynes or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_dam" rel="noreferrer">Wing dams</a> which help to maintain a navigable channel by increasing river scour along the channel for shipping, reducing the need for dredging. They may also help reduce ice jamming.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-27T15:11:19.167Z
2021-11-27T15:11:19.167Z
Siv
<p>Looking around on Google Maps, one can zoom in on the banks of the Oder river between Germany and Poland and find quite an extensive series of curious repeating land features along much of the river banks that resemble bones along a spine, for example at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@52.382379,14.5466943,523m/data=!3m1!1e3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">52°22'56.1&quot;N 14°32'46.2&quot;E</a> and <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@52.0961588,14.7157618,1125m/data=!3m1!1e3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">52°05'43.6&quot;N 14°43'00.1&quot;E</a>. What are these land features and how are they formed?</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/IDotW.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/IDotW.png" alt="Second picture" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-29T05:07:39.243Z
See a picture of those spines at [River Groynes/ Wing Dams](https://goo.gl/maps/iAeY5MShB4wfb1AY9)
Max Jasper
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-29T09:58:26.537Z
Identical features have been built along the Elbe river between the small City of Riesa in Saxony and the mouth of the river.
Erik
<hydrology><rivers><topography><satellite-oddities>
What are these 'spine' land features on the banks of the Oder river?
user91231312
# What are these 'spine' land features on the banks of the Oder river?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-11-27)

Looking around on Google Maps, one can zoom in on the banks of the Oder river between Germany and Poland and find quite an extensive series of curious repeating land features along much of the river banks that resemble bones along a spine, for example at [52°22'56.1"N 14°32'46.2"E](https://www.google.com/maps/@52.382379,14.5466943,523m/data=!3m1!1e3) and [52°05'43.6"N 14°43'00.1"E](https://www.google.com/maps/@52.0961588,14.7157618,1125m/data=!3m1!1e3). What are these land features and how are they formed?

[![Second picture](https://i.sstatic.net/IDotW.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/IDotW.png)

**Tags:** hydrology, rivers, topography, satellite-oddities

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: See a picture of those spines at [River Groynes/ Wing Dams](https://goo.gl/maps/iAeY5MShB4wfb1AY9)  
> **username_2**: Identical features have been built along the Elbe river between the small City of Riesa in Saxony and the mouth of the river.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-11-27. Score: 8

River Groynes or [Wing dams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_dam) which help to maintain a navigable channel by increasing river scour along the channel for shipping, reducing the need for dredging. They may also help reduce ice jamming.


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