What concept relates to the rights of landowners to use water adjacent to their land?

The concept that relates to the rights of landowners to use water adjacent to their land is known as riparian rights. This legal doctrine grants landowners whose property is adjacent to a water source, such as a river or stream, the right to access and use the water. These rights are based on the principle that those owning land next to a body of water have a claim to use that water for reasonable purposes, such as irrigation or domestic use.

Riparian rights are significant because they help to balance the interests of landowners with the need to protect natural water resources. The doctrine often stipulates that landowners may use water in a way that does not infringe upon the rights of other riparian owners upstream or downstream.

In contrast, littoral rights apply to landowners whose property borders a large body of water, like an ocean or lake. Air rights pertain to the space above a property, allowing owners to control access to that vertical space, while mineral rights give the owner the authority to extract minerals found beneath the surface of their land. Each of these other concepts serves different aspects of property rights and land use, which is why they do not apply in this context.