What does accretion refer to in real estate?

Accretion in real estate refers to the increase in land area that occurs as a result of natural processes, specifically the gradual deposition of solid materials such as silt, sand, and soil. This process often happens along riverbanks or coastlines, where water movement contributes to the accumulation of sediment. As these materials are deposited over time, they can extend the boundaries of the land, creating new land area adjacent to existing property. Understanding accretion is fundamental in real estate, particularly concerning property rights and land ownership adjacent to bodies of water. In contrast, the other choices describe processes that either do not contribute to land increase or indicate a loss of land, thus highlighting the unique nature of accretion as a natural enhancement of land.