Water Rights

Water Rights. River vs. Lake. Water makes property valuable, but it also makes the laws tricky. Who owns the water? It depends on whether the water is moving or still.To remember the difference, look at the first letters: R and L.1. Riparian Rights (R = River)These rights belong to an owner whose land borders a flowing body of water, like a River or a stream. You have the right to use the water (fishing, swimming), but you cannot stop the flow or contaminate it.Navigable River: You own only up to the edge of the water (the bank). The government owns the riverbed.Non-Navigable (Small Creek): You own to the center of the stream.2. Littoral Rights (L = Lake/Large)These rights belong to an owner whose land borders a non-flowing (tidal) body of water, like a Lake, an Ocean, or a Sea. You have full enjoyment of the water. You own the land up to the average high-water mark. The government owns the land below that mark (the wet sand).