Legal Definitions - reliction

Definition: Reliction is a type of riparian right that refers to the increase in land caused by the gradual recession, shrinkage, or change in course of a body of water (such as a lake, sea, or river) which gives the owner of the riparian property more dry land.

For the riparian property owner to obtain title to the land resulting from reliction, the reliction must be permanent.

For example, if a lake gradually dries up over time, the owner of the land adjacent to the lake may gain more dry land as a result of the reliction. However, if the lake is artificially drained and the water level drops temporarily, the owner of the land adjacent to the lake would not gain any additional land through reliction.

One example of reliction is the case of State v. Longyear Holding Co. In this case, the Minnesota Supreme Court refused to grant title to a riparian property owner who claimed title to land resulting from reliction because the reliction occurred as a result of artificial and temporary draining of a lake.

Overall, reliction is a legal concept that allows riparian property owners to gain additional land as a result of natural changes in the course of a body of water.