How does riparian law relate to prior appropriation law?

Riparian law and prior appropriation law are both water laws that govern the use and access of water resources. Riparian law is based on the principle that states that all land owners who have land fronting a body of water have the legal right to access and use the water as they see fit. On the other hand, prior appropriation law is based on the idea that the first person to properly utilize a water source for a specific purpose has the legal right to continue to use the water for that purpose. In South Carolina, both riparian law and prior appropriation law are applied to water sources. Riparian law is applied to navigable waterways, which includes rivers, streams, and lakes, that are accessible by boats and barges. Meanwhile, prior appropriation is applied to non-navigable waterways, which includes wetlands, bogs, and ponds. Riparian law and prior appropriation law are related in that they work together to protect the rights of both riparian and non-riparian land owners in South Carolina. For example, a riparian landowner may have the legal right to access and use a navigable body of water, but if a non-riparian landowner has already obtained a prior appropriation right to the same water source, then the riparian landowner cannot access the water unless it is also permissible under prior appropriation. Conversely, a prior appropriator may not be able to use a non-navigable water source if a riparian landowner has a legal right to the water. Thus, riparian law and prior appropriation law are related in that they bothcompete for water resources, and must be balanced to protect the rights of all land owners in the state.

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How does riparian law relate to prior appropriation law?

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