What is the term for laws that govern the use and ownership of underground water?

The correct term for laws that govern the use and ownership of underground water is percolating water rights. This concept refers specifically to the rights associated with water that infiltrates the ground and becomes part of the soil's moisture profile, which can be accessed through wells or other means. Percolating water rights grant landowners the ability to use that groundwater as it is available beneath their property, acknowledging the natural movement and availability of water underground.

Riparian rights typically pertain to water bodies such as rivers and lakes and are focused on the rights of those who own land adjacent to these bodies of water. Littoral rights are similar but specifically apply to properties that border large bodies of water like oceans and lakes, focusing on the rights of shoreline property owners. Subsurface rights can encompass a broader range of resources beneath the surface of a property, including minerals and oil, but does not specifically refer to water. Thus, percolating water rights precisely define the regulations and rights associated with underground water use.