Littoral Rights concern land bordering which type of water?

• A. Rivers
• B. Lakes with no tides
• C. Groundwater
• D. Oceans and large, navigable bodies of water with tides

Answer: (D)

Littoral rights apply to land that borders large bodies of water where tides influence the shoreline, such as oceans and large lakes with tidal action. This means the rights and use of the shore up to the high-water mark are tied to ownership of property along those tidal waters. The waters themselves are public in many places, while the shore area remains part of the landowner’s property subject to public access rights below the high-water line. Rivers and streams involve riparian rights because they are flowing waters, and lakes without tides fall under different rules that don’t involve tidal shore rights. Groundwater isn’t a surface shoreline matter, so it isn’t governed by littoral rights.