In property law, how is accretion defined?

Accretion refers to the gradual and natural accumulation of land caused by the action of water, such as rivers or oceans depositing sediment over time. This process can result in the enlargement of a property without a significant human intervention, making it a vital concept in property law. When land is formed through accretion, the new land typically becomes the property of the landowner adjacent to the water source.

In the context of the other choices, legal settlement describes a formal legal process, which does not align with the natural process of accretion. Soil erosion deals with the loss of land rather than the gain that defines accretion. Flooding contributes to temporary changes in land but does not create new land, and therefore, it does not relate to the definition of accretion either. Understanding the specific process of natural changes to land is crucial in property law for determining rights and ownership.