Which term describes the rights to use a flowing watercourse?

• A. Littoral Rights
• B. Riparian Rights
• C. Riparian-Rights Doctrine
• D. Easement

Answer: (B)

Riparian rights describe the rights to use a flowing watercourse. Landowners whose property borders a river or stream have the ability to use the water for reasonable, beneficial purposes (like irrigation or domestic use) while respecting the rights of others downstream. The flowing nature of the water is what makes these rights riparian rather than littoral.

Littoral rights apply to non-flowing bodies of water like lakes and seas and focus on shore ownership and access. The Riparian-Rights Doctrine is the legal framework that governs how these rights are allocated and exercised; it isn’t the term for the rights themselves. An easement is a separate right that allows someone else to use part of your land for a specific purpose, not ownership of the water itself.