Who do islands formed in navigable streams by accretion belong to?

Islands formed in navigable streams by accretion belong to the state. This principle is rooted in the doctrine of navigability and public rights in navigable waters. When land is formed in a navigable waterway, it doesn't become the property of the adjacent landowner because the state has an interest in the navigable waters and the land surrounding them.

Accretion refers to the gradual process by which land is added to property due to natural forces, like sediment deposition by water flow. In navigable streams, the law generally holds that any new land that emerges belongs to the state rather than the adjacent landowners. This ensures that publicly important waters and the resources they provide remain under public ownership and management.

Landowners do have rights to land adjacent to navigable waters; however, that does not extend to new land created through accretion. The same applies to earlier claims of ownership; once land is added through natural processes in navigable waters, it remains state property to preserve public access and rights over the waterway.