A riparian owner is someone who has watercourses on, next to, or under their property. If your land boundary is next to a watercourse, it is legally presumed that you own the land up to the centre line of the watercourse, unless property deeds or land registry records specifically state otherwise.
Riparian owners have the responsibility for maintenance of these watercourses.
Riparian responsibilities usually lie with the person who owns the land or property, but may be the tenant, depending on the agreement in place.
How to know if you are a riparian owner
You are a riparian owner if you meet one or more of the following:
- If a watercourse (such as a river, stream, ditch or culvert) runs along your boundary or garden wall, you are likely a riparian owner.
- If the watercourse flows entirely through your land or is contained within a pipe (culvert) beneath your property, you own that specific stretch.
- Landowners whose property borders a road are usually the riparian owners of any roadside ditches, as the highway boundary typically sits at the top of the bank closest to the road.
- If the watercourse forms the boundary between two properties, both neighbours are joint riparian owners and each will be responsible for the maintenance of their half up to the middle of the channel.
Your responsibility as a riparian owner
You have a responsibility to allow water to flow naturally without obstruction, diversion or pollution. This includes maintaining the bed and banks and clearing debris from the watercourse. This applies even if the obstruction did not originate from within your land.
You must accept flood flows through your land, even if these are caused by inadequate capacity downstream. A landowner has no duty in common law to improve the drainage capacity of a watercourse they own.
Riparian ownership guide
Contact the Drainage Team
If you are a riparian owner and have any queries or need advice, please contact our Drainage Team by emailing drainage@peterborough.gov.uk.
You can also contact the Drainage Team if you have concerns about a riparian owner not fulfilling their responsibilities.