riparian rights

Definition

Allocation of the rights to use a body of water to the individuals who own property around the body of water. In some situations, all property owners may receive full use of the body of water; for example, all property owners could be given the right to go swimming and boating in a lake. Alternatively, in some cases, rights are proportioned depending upon how much waterfront property each individual owns, and some individuals will have more rights than others.