What is the legal term for the right of a property owner to use water from a river or stream that runs through their property?

The correct term for the right of a property owner to use water from a river or stream that flows through their property is "Riparian rights." This legal principle specifically pertains to landowners whose property is adjacent to a body of water, such as a river or stream, granting them the right to use the water for reasonable purposes, including irrigation, domestic use, and recreation.

The concept of riparian rights is important in property law and is rooted in the idea that water resources can impact both landowners and the environment. These rights may be subject to limitations, meaning that while property owners have access to water, their usage should not detrimentally affect upstream or downstream neighbors and the overall health of the waterway.

Water rights, while related, is a broader term that encompasses all rights associated with the use of water, not exclusively those pertaining to riparian property owners. Mineral rights refer to the ownership of minerals and resources beneath the surface of the land, and easement rights involve the right to cross or use someone else's property for a specified purpose. Thus, riparian rights specifically address the relationship between land ownership and adjacent water sources.