The article provides rationalization for distinguishing special forms of the channel topography – point bars – representing an united aggregate of ridge-type macroforms of channel topography – parts of banks, bars, midstream sandbanks, which are drying during low water. They occupy an intermediate position between the lowflow channel and fl oodplain, both as a part of the channel and participating in its reformations and as initial element of the evolving fl oodplain. At high water levels they are in the subaqueous environment under the infl uence of the fl ow. With decreasing levels, they have a growing infl uence on the course of fl uvial processes, causing seasonal reorganization of the channel. At low water they represent the elements of land and being in subaerial conditions are exposed to wind and rain; they are also overgrown with vegetation. In the end, point bars over time become young fl ood plain. At the Upper Ob’ their stabilization due to the overgrowth takes from 12 to 25–30 years; on the Northern Dvina turning of the midstream sandbank into fl ood plain island with a height of 5 m takes about 100 years. Over the past few decades in almost all rivers of Russia an increased growth of riparian fl ats is witnessed, which is associated with fl ow regulation of rivers and their natural cutting-in.