Which type of water right allows for the legal use of water based on property location?

Riparian rights are a type of water right that grants individuals the legal ability to use water from a natural body of water based on their property location. This system is predicated on the principle that landowners whose property borders a body of water have the right to access and utilize that water for reasonable purposes, such as irrigation or domestic use.

The concept is rooted in the notion that water is a shared resource among those who own land adjacent to it, and it emphasizes reasonable use without causing harm to other riparian landowners. Because these rights are linked directly to the ownership of land next to a water source, they ensure that individuals can rely on the water available to them based on their geographic proximity.

In contrast, appropriative rights typically involve obtaining water by a legal permit system and do not depend on land ownership directly next to the water source. Prescriptive rights relate to the ability to use water without permission after a defined period of unchallenged use, while regulatory rights are concerned with the laws and regulations governing overall water management and usage rather than individual rights tied to land.