South Louisiana Water Rights: Does Your Deed Say What You Think It Does? | RE: Real Estate Podcast
South Louisiana Water Rights: Does Your Deed Say What You Think It Does? | RE: Real Estate Podcast
Primary Goal
Understand how the navigable vs. non-navigable distinction controls your waterfront property rights in South Louisiana – and know what to verify before you buy or build.
Keywords / Tags
south louisiana water rights, louisiana waterfront property, navigable water louisiana, bayou frontage property rights, bayou lafourche real estate, batture louisiana, coastal erosion property loss, waterfront property south louisiana, louisiana surveyor waterfront, built to own podcast
Episode Description
Are you sure your deed says what you think it does? In South Louisiana, waterfront property rights depend on a single legal classification – navigable vs. non-navigable – and most buyers never ask the question.
In this episode, Clint and Ben break down the invisible legal lines that separate private ownership from state ownership on Louisiana's bayous, rivers, and coast. They cover batture, accretion, dereliction, and coastal erosion – and explain exactly what buyers and current owners should verify before closing or building.
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Chapters
● 00:00 Cold open – two pieces of bayou frontage, two different sets of rights
● 00:37 Welcome & series overview – Act 1 finale of Built to Own
● 04:19 Disclaimer: consult a licensed surveyor and Louisiana real estate attorney
● 05:36 Navigable vs. non-navigable – the classification that controls everything
● 06:37 State owns the water bottom – what waterfront ownership really means
● 08:21 Local context: Bayou Lafourche and the Percy Brown Bridge
● 09:30 Real deal: Leeville sale with submerged water bottom rights
● 11:30 Batture – the strip between the high water mark and the levee
● 13:01 Accretion and dereliction – when property lines grow or recede
● 15:01 Erosion: the daily reality of coastal Louisiana land loss
● 18:13 Homework: get a current survey; what buyers must do before closing
● 20:46 Act 1 wrap-up & Act 2 preview – ownership on-ramps
Sound Bites
● "Two pieces of bayou frontage that look identical from the air can have completely different legal rights."
● "If the water is navigable, the bed beneath the water generally belongs to the state, not to you."
● "My property goes to the water doesn't mean what most people think it means."
● "A current survey from a licensed Louisiana surveyor is one of the most leverage-producing documents you can own."
● "Do not close without two things: a current survey paid for by the buyer, and a conversation with a Louisiana real estate attorney."
Resources
● Louisiana Civil Code – Ownership of Riverbeds & Water Rights: legis.la.gov
● Louisiana Dept. of Natural Resources – Coastal Management: coastal.la.gov
● LA Board of Registration for Professional Land Surveyors: lsbpels.louisiana.gov
● U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – New Orleans District: mvn.usace.army.mil
Hashtags
#RERealEstatePodcast #SouthLouisianaRealEstate #WaterRights #LouisianaRealEstate #WaterfrontProperty #RealEstatePodcast #BuiltToOwn #BayouLafourche #CoastalLouisiana #KellerWilliams
About the Hosts
Clint Galliano & Ben Harang are REALTORS® with Keller Williams Realty Bayou Partners, serving the Houma–Thibodaux area of South Louisiana.
Production
Produced by RE: Real Estate Podcast · Hosted by Clint Galliano & Ben Harang · Keller Williams Realty Bayou Partners
Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Creators and Guests
Host
Ben Harang
Ben Harang brings over 30 years of experience as a licensed agent and currently works with Keller Williams Realty Bayou Partners. Ben’s experience includes single family residential sales, large land sales, subdivision development, building new construction residential and commercial projects and selling REO/Foreclosed properties.
Host
Clint C. Galliano
Clint Galliano, who’s been an agent since 2020 & an investor since 2008, also with Keller Williams Realty Bayou Partners. Clint’s experience includes residential sales, residential rentals, property management, and various avenues of investing.
