Which of the following terms refers to the rights of a property that abuts a stream or river?

• A. Allodial
• B. Alluvial
• C. Littoral
• D. Riparian

Answer: (D)

Riparian rights govern the uses of water by property owners whose land borders a flowing body of water, like a stream or river. This concept covers the reasonable use of water—think irrigation, household use, or other everyday needs—while respecting neighboring landowners’ similar rights. The emphasis is on access to and use of the water that runs by the land, not on ownership of the water itself.

Littoral rights, by contrast, apply to land along stationary bodies of water such as lakes or seas and deal with shore access and rights to the water’s edge, not the flowing water itself. Alluvial refers to soil deposits carried and laid down by water, which is more about the material than the rights to use the water. Allodial concerns are about ownership free from superior landlords or feudal obligations, not about water rights.