What are the rights of a landowner to a river bordering her property known as?

The rights of a landowner to a river bordering her property are known as riparian rights. This legal concept allows landowners to make reasonable use of the water from the river for purposes such as irrigation, domestic use, and recreation, as long as this use does not harm other riparian landowners or significantly affect the river’s flow. Riparian rights are based on the proximity of the land to the waterway and generally apply to properties that are adjacent to a river, stream, or lake.

Riparian rights are distinct from other forms of water rights, such as appropriative rights, which are based on the first come, first served principle regardless of property location. Access rights usually pertain to the ability to reach one’s property and do not specifically address water use. Water rights is a broader term that can encompass various types of rights related to water, while right of way applies to the legal right to pass through or over someone else's land, which again does not pertain specifically to water use along a bordering river. Thus, riparian rights are the specific legal rights that relate directly to water flowing through or adjacent to a property.