Riparian rights and obligations

Riparian ownership

Riparian owners have certain rights and responsibilities.

In the case of ditches, streams and rivers, it is the landowners on each side of the watercourse who are responsible for the maintenance of the watercourse itself and the flow within it.

It is not just those who have a watercourse flowing across their land that are affected, but also those with land where the watercourse forms a boundary with another landowner. Their rights and responsibilities even apply where a watercourse passes immediately adjacent to a boundary, even if it is outside the landowners’ ownership, as the flow of the watercourse has the potential to affect this land.

For more information on the extent of riparian ownerships, see Practice Notes:

•
Riparian ownership—rights and responsibilities
•
Riparian owners and fishing rights
•
Property boundaries

Regulating riparian owners

Riparian owners may need permission for some activities from a regulator such as a local authority, internal drainage board (IDB) or the Environment

To view the latest version of this document and thousands of others like it, sign-in with LexisNexis or register for a free trial.

TAKE A FREE TRIAL

Latest Environment News

DESNZ announces plans to consult on space heating product standards

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has published a summary of proposals aimed at improving product standards for space and combination heaters. These proposals seek to update ecodesign and energy labelling legislation to facilitate heat electrification, reduce fossil fuel consumption, ensure legislative effectiveness, and improve energy labels. DESNZ intends to launch a consultation on these proposals by the end of 2024, once the draft statutory instrument is ready for publication.

JRC identifies 18 product categories for potential EU ecodesign regulation

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published a report assessing various product categories for potential regulation under the new EU Regulation 2024/1781 (the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)). The JRC has identified 18 product groups, including both final and intermediate products, which show significant potential for reducing environmental impacts and enhancing EU strategic autonomy if regulated under the ESPR. The findings will inform the Commission's first ESPR Working Plan, due for adoption in the first half of 2025. The report also highlights the potential of horizontal requirements on durability, recyclability, and recycled content across multiple product groups.

Environmental enforcement round up — 22 November 2024

A round-up of the latest environmental enforcement, including farmer fined for not complying with alternative penalty to conviction.

Questions & unsatisfactory answers—the European Commission publishes guidance on the importer requirements of the EU Methane Regulation

EU Law analysis: Alex Kerr, partner at Baker Botts LLP, examines the European Commission’s Q&A document on the importer requirements of the EU Methane Regulation.