As a member of that community, I am happy about this (and appreciate the consideration for our happiness - it's not something we're accustomed to). Forgive me

As a member of that community, I am happy about this (and appreciate the consideration for our happiness - it's not something we're accustomed to). Forgive me for stating the obvious, but the kinds of canals we skate don't contain flowing water. Sure, there are rivers with engineered concrete river beds in metro areas that might have a smaller channel with water, but the skateable parts are dry (Santa Ana river, Los Angeles River, etc). Concrete river beds are also more of a novelty than they are enjoyable. The concrete is like corduroy. It takes a lot more effort to move, and when you fall, you leave smeared portions of yourself behind. The canals the article talks about are much smaller, and typically serve agriculture in Central California with edge to edge flowing water. When dry, those can be fun, but again, they're not the first on my list of fun places to skate (which isn't to say they're not fun, just not as fun as other places). They're full of debris, very rough, and lose their appeal pretty quickly. Personally, if losing those spots means more efficient use of water, it's a very small price and one I'm willing to pay.