Index: src/water_map.h
===================================================================
--- src/water_map.h	(revision 27177)
+++ src/water_map.h	(working copy)
@@ -346,8 +346,33 @@
 	return HasTileWaterClass(t) && IsTileOnWater(t) && !IsCoastTile(t);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Comment about getting owner of canal
+ */
+static inline Owner GetCanalOwner(TileIndex t)
+{
+	assert(HasTileWaterGround(t));
 
+	if (GetWaterClass(t) != WATER_CLASS_CANAL) {
+		return GetTileOwner(t);
+		} else { 
+		Owner co = (Owner)(GB(_me[t].m6, 0, 2) || GB(_me[t].m6, 6, 2));
+		/* Canals don't have OWNER_TOWN, and remapping OWNER_NONE
+		* to OWNER_TOWN makes it use one bit less */
+		return co == OWNER_TOWN ? OWNER_NONE : co;
+	}
+}
 /**
+ * Comment about setting owner of canal
+ */
+static inline void SetCanalOwner(TileIndex t, Owner co)
+{
+	if (co == OWNER_NONE) co = OWNER_TOWN;
+	SB(_me[t].m6, 0, 2, GB(co, 0, 2));
+	SB(_me[t].m6, 6, 2, GB(co, 2, 2));
+}
+
+/**
  * Helper function to make a coast tile.
  * @param t The tile to change into water
  */
@@ -412,6 +437,7 @@
 static inline void MakeCanal(TileIndex t, Owner o, uint8 random_bits)
 {
 	assert(o != OWNER_WATER);
+	if (o == OWNER_NONE) o = OWNER_TOWN;
 	MakeWater(t, o, WATER_CLASS_CANAL, random_bits);
 }