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

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

European Parliament votes to simplify EU Deforestation Regulation implementation

The European Parliament voted 402 to 250 to simplify the EU Deforestation Regulation, granting companies an additional year to comply with rules preventing sale of products sourced from deforested land. Large operators must comply by 30 December 2026, with micro and small enterprises following by 30 June 2027. The changes reduce due diligence obligations for smaller operators and require only businesses first introducing products to EU markets to submit due diligence statements. Parliament will now negotiate with member states on final terms, which must be published in the EU Official Journal before end-2025 for the delay to take effect.

DEFRA updates framework for evaluating category B evidence in timber procurement

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has published its updated guidance setting out how procurement authorities and suppliers should provide and assess Category B evidence when demonstrating that timber and wood-derived products meet the government’s definitions of ‘legal’ and ‘sustainable’. The document explains that Category B evidence is used when approved certification schemes (Category A) are not relied upon, and must show that at least 70% of the supplied material comes from legal and sustainable sources, in line with the Timber Procurement Policy. It clarifies the relationship between the Policy and the UK Timber Regulations (UKTR), noting that UKTR compliance may help demonstrate legality but does not replace the requirement to evidence sustainability. The guidance also outlines obligations for products within and outside the UKTR scope, including the continued need for evidence even where recycled or heavily processed items are not regulated under the UKTR.

DESNZ launches UK ETS consultation on international maritime emissions expansion

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has launched a consultation to expand the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) by including emissions from international maritime voyages to and from the UK. The consultation seeks stakeholder views on the: overall scope of the scheme with the inclusion of international maritime emissions, adjustments to the UK ETS cap to accommodate these additional emissions, Future scheme reviews in light of measures by the International Maritime Organization and the broader impacts of the proposed changes. The consultation will close on 20 January 2026.

Budget 2025—key Environment announcements

In the Budget 2025, on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, announced a suite of fiscal and regulatory measures with direct implications for environmental law. Although the Budget is framed around economic growth, productivity and infrastructure delivery, a significant number of measures affect environmental taxation, carbon pricing, land remediation, waste and resource efficiency, and the planning regime governing major development.