Lake Mead at Hoover Dam-photo by Associated Press The Colorado River parties could not agree on how to manage the Colorado River post-2026. Therefore, on 1/16/26, the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) issued a Post-2026 Operational Guidelines and Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) . You can download a copy of the EIS Executive Summary at the link below: Tortolita Alliance has reviewed the EIS, and it is lengthy and complic

An introduction to dodder, a unique parasitic vine that thrives in the Tortolita Mountains area

Tucson View from Upper Javeline Trail (1/18/26) Hiked the Upper Javelina Trail early this morning to see if any wildflowers have appeared. The wildflower bloom this year should be prolific, as we had normal monsoon rainfall in 2025 and a warm fall/early winter. It's early, so only one wildflower and one nasty grass were observed. Brittlebush has started to bloom: Brittlebush-Upper Javelina Trail (1/18/26) Sadly, Buffelgrass is now appearing along the higher elevations of th

Saguaro Research-Tortolita Preserve Tortolita Alliance (TA) has proposed to conduct a Saguaro Survey/Inventory within the Tortolita Preserve. TA worked with scientists from the Tumamoc Desert Laboratory to develop a preliminary plan, which has been submitted to Marana Parks & Recreation for consideration. We await their response. A Saguaro Survey/Inventory project is an excellent way for our citizen scientists to participate in a very important, long-term saguaro study. Sa