The rights of an owner whose land abuts water. They differ from state to state and often depend on whether the water is a river, lake, or ocean. The doctrine of riparian rights has its origins in English common law. Persons who own land adjacent to a stream have the right to make reasonable use of the stream. Riparian users of a stream share the streamflow among themselves. Riparian rights cannot usually be sold or transferred for use on non-riparian land.
See also Prior Appropriation Doctrine.