usufructuary right

In California, a usufructuary right is the right of an individual to use water for beneficial use, but they do not ‘own’ the water; the water belongs to the people of the state of California.

A usufructuary right is the right of an individual to use and enjoy the property of another, provided its substance is neither impaired nor altered.  For example, a usufructuary right would be the right to use water from a stream in order to generate electrical power. Such a right is distinguishable from a claim of legal ownership of the water itself.

Usufructuary Right. (n.d.) West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. (2008). Retrieved May 22 2020 from https://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Usufructuary+Right