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Water Woes XXII-Cautious & Frugal
The water situation in the West has improved but it is only one year in a 24-year period whereby the Colorado River reservoir system has...

Mark L. Johnson
May 14, 20232 min read


Dave DeGroot-Trailblazer
Dave DeGroot-Grand Canyon One of the great benefits of the Tortolita Alliance (TA) is meeting and working with wonderfully talented...

Mark L. Johnson
May 10, 20232 min read


Dry But Colorful
Hedgehog Cactus Tortolita Preserve (4/23/23) Hiked the Wild Burro-Alamo Springs-Spur Trail early this morning. The lower trail potions...

Mark L. Johnson
May 7, 20231 min read


TA Tidbits #43-Blitz & Bitz
The following serves to update some important activities at the Tortolita Preserve (TP) and Upper Javelina Trail. TP Spring Bioblitz The...

Mark L. Johnson
Apr 22, 20232 min read


Saguaro Facts & Status
It has not been a good year for our treasured saguaros. Strong-Arm passed after a wonderful 160-year life in the Tortolita Preserve. We...

Mark L. Johnson
Apr 10, 20234 min read


March Gladness
Most likely your favorite team(s) have been eliminated from the NCAA basketball tournament. So its time for a little March Gladness to...

Mark L. Johnson
Mar 26, 20231 min read


Marana Water DAWS Modification Part III-DAWS On Pause
DAWS Process/Status Let's summarize the previous Marana Water (MW) Designated Assured Water Supply (DAWS) Modification blogs: Part...

Mark L. Johnson
Mar 22, 20232 min read


TA Alert! Sustainable Landscapes Expo Saturday-March 11
The Annual Sustainable Landscapes Expo will be held this Saturday (3/11/23) from 10:00 AM to 2:00 at the U of A Cooperative Extension...

Mark L. Johnson
Mar 8, 20231 min read


Snowscapes
Tortolita Preserve-Snow Bound (3/2/23) The rare Sonoran Desert snow event on Thursday, March 2, 2023 was beautiful and captured for...

Mark L. Johnson
Mar 4, 20231 min read


TA Tidbits # 41-Tortolita Preserve Project Updates
Tortolita Dawn (TP-9/25/22) Tortolita Alliance (TA ) attended a presentation by Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR) on 2/23/23 at the...

Mark L. Johnson
Feb 25, 20232 min read


Smart Irrigation To Save Water
Typically, 50-75% of the water use at a home in the arid southwest goes to outdoor landscape irrigation. Therefore, it is very important...

Mark L. Johnson
Feb 18, 20233 min read


A Wild Mustang Valentine
Happy Valentine's Day From The Wild Mustang Trail! Hiked the Wild Mustang Trail (9 miles) last Sunday. See 3-D video of the hike and...

Mark L. Johnson
Feb 12, 20231 min read


TP Naturalists
Tortolita Preserve-Cool & Captivating (Mark & Shirley-2/1/23) The Arizona Master Naturalist Association (AZMNA) held their annual meeting...

Mark L. Johnson
Feb 5, 20231 min read


Marana Water DAWS Modification Part II-Analysis
Introduction The 6-Step Procedure for developing the Designated Assured Water Supply (DAWS) was described in Part I. In Part II, we go...

Mark L. Johnson
Jan 29, 20239 min read


Marana Water DAWS Modification-Part I Introduction & DAWS Basics
Introduction Marana Water (MW) applied to modify its Designated Assured Water Supply (DAWS) with the Arizona Department of Water...

Mark L. Johnson
Jan 22, 20233 min read


Shades of Gray Make The Day
Wild Burro Wash & Trail 1/15/23 Hiking the Tortolita Preserve or the Tortolita Mountain Trails on a cloudy, pre-storm day is just as...

Mark L. Johnson
Jan 15, 20231 min read


Dove Mountain Watch Update
Dove Mountain Crime Update This serves as an update to the meeting held by the Marana Police Department with Dove Mountain residents on...

Mark L. Johnson
Jan 6, 20231 min read


Water Woes XIX-New Water-Issues & Who Pays?
This blog covers the current state of the Colorado River water supply and the urgent need to develop new sources of water (New Water) to...

Mark L. Johnson
Dec 28, 20229 min read


TP Holiday Cheer!
Tortolita Preserve (12/10/22) Mule Deer Jumping For Joy Good news from Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR) on three Tortolita Preserve (TP)...

Mark L. Johnson
Dec 17, 20222 min read


Meeting Report: Crime & Low-Flying Aircraft-Town of Marana-12/7/22
Police Chief Reuben Nuñez Reviewing Crime Reduction Strategy Approximately 85 Dove Mountain residents attended last night's meeting at...

Mark L. Johnson
Dec 8, 20224 min read
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