Riparian Rights

Riparian Rights is the right of the owner of land bordering a non-navigable lake or stream to the use and enjoyment of the water that flows across their land or is contiguous to it. Under the riparian rights doctrine, all owners of land underlying or abutting the water have equal rights to it. In comparison, the prior appropriation doctrine would not confer equal rights to all owners of land underlying or abutting the water.