Riparian

The term ‘riparian area’ refers to the interface between land and a river or stream. Ref The HS2 London-West Midlands Environmental Statement, Glossary of terms and list of abbreviations, DETR 2013.

It is defined by The SuDS Manual (C753) published by CIRIA in 2015 as: ‘Of, on, or relating to the banks of a natural course of water.’

Culvert, screen and outfall manual, (CIRIA C786) published by CIRIA in 2019, defines riparian as: ‘Along the banks of a watercourse. Riparian zones support riparian vegetation and are of environmental importance, providing diverse habitats and supporting a range of ecological communities.

It, defines a riparian owner as the: 'Owner of land adjoining a watercourse.'

The National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England, Glossary, published by the Environment Agency in 2020, defines riparian landowners as: ‘People who own a stretch of watercourse that runs on or under their land; or is on the boundary of their land, up to its centre. Riparian landowners have legal responsibilities for the stretch of watercourse they own.’

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• River engineering.
• Controlled waters.
• Hydrogeology.
• Watercourse.
• Water engineering.
• Water transfers and interconnections.