Riparian rights have played an important role in the history and development of Long Island. They also have a long legal history here and throughout New York State.
Under the common law, the owners of land along the border of a waterway enjoy certain rights that allow them to use the abutting waterway and the land beneath the waterway to gain reasonable access to navigable water. These rights, known as “riparian” or “littoral” rights,[1]� are appurtenant to and arise from the proximity of the land to the water.[2]� A riparian owner has no direct property interest in either the adjacent water or underwater lands, but merely the right to use such water and land.
