riparian

abutting a river or stream and "littoral" means abutting an ocean, sea, or lake.

Belonging or relating to the bank of a river; of or on the bank. Land lying beyond the natural watershed of a stream is not "riparian." Bathgate v. Irvine, 126 Cal. 135, 58 Pan. 442, 77 Am. St. Rep. 158. The term is sometimes used as relating to the shore of the sea or other tidal water, or of a lake or other considerable body of water not having the character of a water-course. But this is not accurate. The proper word to be employed in such connections is "littoral." See Com. v. Roxhury, 9 Gray (Mass.) 521, note.

— Riparian nations. In internationni law. Those who possess opposite banks or different parts of banks of one and the same river.

— Riparian owner. A riparian proprietor; one who owns land on the bank of a river.

— Riparian proprietor. An owner of land, bounded generally upon a stream of water, and as such having a qualified property in the soil to the thread of the stream with the privileges annexed thereto by law. Bardwell v. Ames, 22 Pick. (Mass.) 355; Potomac Steamboat Co. v. Upper Potomac Steamboat Co., lO9 U. S. 672, 3 Sup. Ct. 445, 27 In Ed. 1070; Gough v. Bell, 22 N. J. Law, 464.

— Riparian rights. The rights of the owners of lands on the banks of watercourses, relating to the water, its use, ownership of soil under the stream, accretions, etc. See Yates v. Milwaukee, 10 Wall. 497, 19 Jj. Ed. 984; Mobile Transp. Co., v. Mobile, 128 Ala. 335. 30 South. 645, 64 In R. A. 333, 86 Am. St. Rep. 143; McCarthy v. Murphy, 119 Wis. 159, 96 N. W. 531.

Relating to the banks of rivers. Riparian proprietors are those who own lands on the banks of rivers. Riparian rights are such rights as arise out of or are connected with or peculiar to banks of rivers; such as ownership of the soil under water, right to maintain landing-places, ownership of accretions, &c. States whose jurisdictions are bounded by rivers are sometimes called riparian states. For want of another word of like meaning, and etymologically more appropriate, riparian is used of banks of other waters than running streams; thus the term riparian rights is sometimes found where the general connection shows that rights incident to the banks of a lake, or to the sea-shore, are meant.