Odd Markings

Appear to be old "oxbows" of alluvial formations.

They are a bit small for oxbows / meanders. And I'd expect to see them all around the area if they were. They seem local to this small patch though.

I think the story becomes clearer when you look in Bing. There has been a lot of earth moving in the area to deal with flooding and draining. See the area just to the NW. The plain just to the east has a few of the trenches and they look like they are the result of earth removal, probably to build the mounds and mini-dams in the channel to the NW.

The sweeping canal that someone has obviously been trying to block with the 'mini-dams' IS most definitely an oxbow though.

OK, counter argument in favor of KRL's oxbow theory is this site to the south. Now I'm not convinced it is earth moving.

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&cp=34.532338168854814~-92.16950202088984&lvl=18&dir=0&sty=h

BUT... this definitely is earth moving. It may be a mix of both?

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&cp=34.57874935910931~-92.19624900918436&lvl=17&dir=0&sty=h

A trip through the Google Earth timeline might be helpful?

Anonymous is right. The March 2003 imagery clearly shows tracks going from the excavations to the mini-dams. Thanks anonymous.