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Marana Housing/Population & TRICO
Dove Mountain Development Looking Towards Saguaro Reserve Project From Upper Javelina Trail (3/5/23) Marana Housing/Population Marana...

Tortolita Alliance
Feb 102 min read
374 views


Water Woes XXXVI - Low Snow & Colorado River Operations Alternatives
Very Little Snow-San Juan Mountains (Colorado) Approaching Continental Divide-Photo by Jim Quigley (1/27/25) Low Snow Upper Colorado...

Mark L. Johnson
Feb 42 min read
134 views

Flood Control & The Fan
Tortolita Fan Watershed-Pima County Flood Control District-Watershed Master Plan Pima County Flood Control District (PCFCD) has recently...

Mark L. Johnson
Jan 302 min read
255 views

Water Woes XXXV-Rebates & Rates
Marana Water Weather-Based Irrigation Controller Rebate Hats off to Marana Water (MW) for implementing rebates for installing a...

Mark L. Johnson
Dec 14, 20241 min read
275 views

Water Woes XXXIV-Colorado River System-Beyond 2026
The United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) released (11/20/24) five alternatives for operating the Colorado River System after 2026. ...
Mark L. Johnson
Nov 25, 20242 min read
168 views

The Secret Plan To Develop The Tortolita Fan
On April 17, 2024, Tortolita Alliance (TA) filed a Public Records Request (P RR) with the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) for "all...
Mark L. Johnson
Oct 2, 20244 min read
760 views

Water Woes XXXII Cautious Optimism
Tortolita Alliance (TA) attended the Local Drought Impact Group (LDIG) meeting today (9/11/24) via Zoom. LDIG is a bi-monthly gathering...
Tortolita Alliance
Sep 11, 20241 min read
123 views


Water Woes XXXI Agua Veto
Governor Hobbs Vetoes 5 and Signs 3 Water Bills The Arizona legislature approved 8 water bills at the very end of the 2024 legislative...
Tortolita Alliance
Jun 21, 20242 min read
202 views

Water Woes XXX-Open House-Supply v Demand-Population
Marana Water Open House Marana Water held an Open House on Wednesday (5/29/24). It included four presentations; (1) Marana Water...
Mark L. Johnson
Jun 14, 20245 min read
236 views

Tangerine Road Corridor-Part I
Tangerine Road (between I-10 and Dove Mountain Boulevard) parallels the Tortolita Preserve. Therefore, it is critical that we carefully...
Tortolita Alliance
Jun 8, 20247 min read
540 views


Water Woes XXIX-Monsoon Outlook & Colorado River Conditions
Post Monsoon Storm-Double Rainbow-Tortolita Preserve (8/28/21) Monsoon 2024 The monsoon season extends from June 15 through September 30....
Mark L. Johnson
Jun 1, 20241 min read
317 views


Water Woes XXVIII-Water Info Now Flowing
Snoqualmie Falls-Snoqualmie, WA (4/28/24) On a recent visit with my grandchildren in North Bend, WA, I took them over to Snoqualmie Falls...
Mark L. Johnson
May 15, 20243 min read
204 views

Water Woes XXVII-Ebbs & Flows
Glen Canyon Dam (Lake Powell)-photo by Jim Quigley This blog covers several topics concerning Southwest water items including; (1) Local...
Mark L. Johnson
Apr 14, 20243 min read
204 views

Marana Retreat Newsbeat
The Marana Town Council held its annual retreat (2/14-16/2024) in Chandler, AZ---75 miles away from the citizens of Marana!! There is no...
Tortolita Alliance
Apr 11, 20244 min read
333 views


Marana DAWS Modification-ADWR Decision On Objections-Draft Decision & Order and TA Response Letter
Picacho Peak & Full Moon Decision On Objections and Draft Decision & Order The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) issued a...
Tortolita Alliance
Feb 28, 20242 min read
238 views


Marana DAWS Modification-Objection Letter & Hearing Update
Tortolita Alliance (TA) filed its 6th Public Records Request (PRR) to obtain copies of the Objection Letters and obtain information...
Tortolita Alliance
Feb 16, 20243 min read
223 views

DAWS Flaws
Tony Davis wrote an excellent article regarding the Marana DAWS Modification Application (Application) that headlined in today's Arizona...
Mark L. Johnson
Jan 14, 20244 min read
379 views


Marana Water DAWS Modification-Reminder-Objection Letter
Our Marana In Marana Water DAWS Modification-Part IV-Objection Letter we provided the Background, Revised Public Notice & Objection...
Mark L. Johnson
Jan 6, 20241 min read
321 views


Marana Water DAWS Modification-Part IV-Objection Letter
Our Marana Water is the sustenance of life. We cannot live without it. Yet the Town of Marana-Marana Water (MW) plans to quadruple the...
Mark L. Johnson
Dec 30, 20232 min read
478 views

TA Alert-#2!-Marana Water DAWS Modification Application-Public Notice
Public Notice The public notice (left) requesting written objections to the Marana Water Designated Assured Water Supply (DAWS)...
Mark L. Johnson
Dec 21, 20231 min read
133 views

TA Alert!-Marana Water DAWS Modification Application-Public Comment Period
Application-Public Comment Period Marana Water filed a Designated Assured Water Supply (DAWS) Modification Application on 5/18/22. For...
Mark L. Johnson
Dec 19, 20232 min read
212 views

TA Tidbits #48 One Water Public Comments & No LIV Golf-Tucson (2024)
One Water-Public Comments Arizona Daily Star (Tony Davis) reported recently that many public comments regarding the Tucson Water (TW) One...
Mark L. Johnson
Nov 25, 20231 min read
351 views


Water Woes XXV-Assured Water Supply Committee Comment Letter
In May 2023, Governor Hobbs established the Governor's Water Policy Council and associated Assured Water Supply (AWS) Committee. The...
Mark L. Johnson
Oct 4, 20231 min read
257 views


Tortolita Preserve-Post Storm(s) Report
Tortolita Preserve-After The Monsoon (8/27/23) Hiked the Tortolita Preserve (TP) Main Loop (7 miles) this early this morning. Reports of...
Mark L. Johnson
Aug 27, 20232 min read
411 views


TA Tidbits #45-Mr. Big Stuff, Pygmy Owl, Monsoon & More
Mr. Big Stuff Tortolita Preserve (TP) This huge Sonoran Desert Tortoise paid a visit to a property adjacent to TP near Moore Road and...
Mark L. Johnson
Aug 20, 20232 min read
310 views

Tucson Water Responds
Tortolita Alliance (TA) provided a detailed Comment Letter (6/7/23) regarding the Tucson Water-One Water 2100 Plan-May 2023 Draft (Plan)....
Mark L. Johnson
Jul 9, 20231 min read
232 views

Tucson Water-One Water 2100 Plan Comments
Tortolita Alliance has filed the following comment letter with Tucson Water (TW) this morning regarding TW's One Water 2100 Plan. You can...
Mark L. Johnson
Jun 7, 20231 min read
242 views

Water Woes XXIII-H2O Medley
The following is a medley of recent H2O developments with the Colorado River, Marana Water and Tucson Water. New-Colorado River...
Mark L. Johnson
May 28, 20232 min read
208 views

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
354 views

Water Woes XXI-H2O Hits The Fan
The media has pummeled us lately with plenty of water news. There is one significant Colorado River action that needs review....
Mark L. Johnson
Apr 16, 20234 min read
354 views


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
229 views

Water Woes XX-Are We All Wet?
Snowpack (Aqua) Western US (1/22/23)-NASA Satellite Image Tortolita Alliance (TA) has been proactively keeping the community informed of...
Mark L. Johnson
Mar 12, 20232 min read
300 views

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
137 views

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
322 views


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
358 views


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
398 views


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
461 views

TA Reflections & Future
The Beginning The Tortolita Alliance (TA) was formed three years ago in response to efforts by the Town of Marana (Marana) and the...
Mark L. Johnson
Dec 4, 20222 min read
555 views

TA Tidbits # 40-Water, BioBlitz and Crime & Planes
Water Year 2022 Update Tortolita Alliance (TA) attended the Local Drought Impact Group (LDIG) Meeting via Microsoft Team on November 8,...
Mark L. Johnson
Nov 26, 20222 min read
259 views


TA Tidbits #39-Saguaros, BioBlitz & H2O
Tortolita Preserve-Fiery Monsoon Skies Old Growth Sagauro Deaths-Bacterial Infection & Climate Change Strong-arm passed on 8/4/22 and is...
Mark L. Johnson
Oct 20, 20223 min read
363 views


Tucson Water-One Water 2100 Analysis
Tucson Water (TW) is preparing an 80-year Water Master Plan called One Water 2100. This is an update to their previous Water Plan...
Mark L. Johnson
Oct 8, 20226 min read
451 views

Storm-Water-Shed
Upper Wild Burro Canyon Watershed (7/31/22) Hiked the Wild Burro Trail and Alamo Springs Loop Trail early this morning after nice...
Mark L. Johnson
Jul 31, 20223 min read
361 views

Water Woes XVII-Disaster Looming
The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) issued a press release in response to yesterday's Senate Committee on Energy and Natural...
Mark L. Johnson
Jun 15, 20221 min read
424 views

Water Woes XVI-Is The Worst Yet To Come?
Tortolita Alliance (TA) attended the Local Drought Impact Group (LDIG) Meeting via Microsoft Team today (May 11, 2022). LDIG is a...
Mark L. Johnson
May 11, 20221 min read
248 views

May Day! May Day! May Day!
The Conjunction Moon, Jupiter & Venus line up early Wednesday (4/27/22) morning over the Tortolita Preserve. Good things come in...
Mark L. Johnson
May 1, 20221 min read
189 views


TA Tidbits #35 Petitions, Owls & New Water Agency
Town Council Candidates Need More Signed Petitions Thanks to everyone who have signed the Non-Partisan Nomination Petitions for Patrick...
Mark L. Johnson
Feb 26, 20222 min read
370 views

TA Tidbits #34 Petitions & More
Meet The Change4Marana Candidates-Sign Petitions Patrick Cavanaugh, Mark Johnson and Tim Kosse are running for Marana Town Council as the...
Tortolita Alliance
Feb 16, 20222 min read
299 views


Mark 4 Marana Town Council Campaign
I first came to Marana in 1976 on a cross county RV adventure during my senior year in college. Having grown up in a coastal environment...
Mark L. Johnson
Feb 6, 20222 min read
1,349 views

Water Woes XIV-Pause On DAWS
The following serves as an update to the previously reported Marana Water Designated Assured Water Supply (DAWS) analysis. Remember DAWS...
Mark L. Johnson
Feb 1, 20222 min read
235 views

Water Woes XIII-Short-Term Drought Improvement
The Flats-Wild Mustang Trail Helpful Facts/Hints Blog Images-Just want to remind readers that you can click on any image (photo, graphic,...
Mark L. Johnson
Jan 13, 20222 min read
223 views
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