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Who Owns the Water? |
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What are the legal boundaries for buying a property with a lake or stream or river? Who owns the water in each case or to what point in the water do I own? |
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Some state laws may differ, but here's the general rule: Whoever owns land along a river or stream that's navigable (suitable for commercial boat traffic) owns up to the water's edge. The land under the river is usually owned by the state, as a highway would be.
When a stream is not navigable, the landowner also owns the land under the stream to the exact center of the waterway. In either case, the owner has the right to use the water but not to impede its flow or contaminate it.
For lakes, seas and oceans, whoever owns the bordering land usually owns down to the average high-water mark. Again, different states may have varying regulations.
The legal terms for all this are "riparian" and "littoral" rights. |
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Edith
Originally published on August 27, 2007 |
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