Definition of "riparian" [ri•pa•ri•an]

• Of, on, or relating to the banks of a natural course of water. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Since the lake was made by flooding old farmland, the owners retained the rights to those lands, and also to the middle of the river, its known as riparian rights."
• "This land, often called a riparian buffer, can play a vital role in preventing nutrients that wash off fields and streets from reaching the rivers and coasts."
• "Yesterday's term was riparian, which is defined as:"