Riparian rights are associated primarily with which type of property?

Riparian rights refer to the legal entitlements of landowners whose properties are adjacent to a body of water, such as a stream, river, or lake. These rights generally allow property owners to use and enjoy the water that is directly accessible from their land. This includes activities such as fishing, boating, and withdrawing water for irrigation or household use, as long as these activities do not significantly affect the rights of other users upstream or downstream.

Properties bordering a stream or lake have direct access to water resources and therefore benefit from riparian rights. This legal framework is designed to balance the interests of various landowners and protect the waterway's ecosystem.

In contrast, landlocked properties do not have access to water bodies, commercial properties can have varied water access but are not specifically tied to riparian rights, and residential properties can include both riparian and non-riparian scenarios depending on their location. The focus of riparian rights is specifically on properties that border water.