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Arizona saguaro cacti cut down during construction work at golf course

The Arizona Department of Agriculture is investigating, after video surfaced of a construction crew cutting down a pair of saguaro cacti with chainsaws. According to Arizona law, removing a saguaro or any native plant is against the law. FOX 10's Ellen McNamara has more.

MARANA, Ariz. - The Arizona Dept. of Agriculture is investigating after video showed a construction crew cutting down a pair of saguaros with chainsaws at a golf course north of Tucson.

The work was done ahead of the LIV Golf tournament set to take place in Marana on March 17.

According to state law, removing a saguaro is against the law.

The agency says a permit was not issued, and the licensing department says they did not receive notice of intent associated with the removals from the Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain.

Marana resident Jerry Parker says he saw the iconic saguaros taken down firsthand.

"I was just taken back, I couldn't believe it happened," Parker said.

The video is upsetting neighbors in the community.

"To see them cut down for a basically a three-day golf tournament and those guys after three days are going to pack up their things and be gone, and these saguaros will be in a dumpster somewhere," said resident Michael Smith. "I didn't like that and I hope the people in this community don't put up with it."

"There was no sense talking to the workers, they were trying to avoid me for sure, but it wasn't the workers," said Jerry Parker. "They were doing the job that someone told them to do. So the question is who and why."

The Gallery Golf Club responded with the following statement.

Our maintenance practices are designed to protect the natural beauty of our desert landscape. In this instance, despite an original plan to safely relocate two Saguaros on our property, it was determined that they were unstable, which led to the decision to remove them. Along with the community and our Membership, we will always be committed to protecting our beautiful environment.

The state of Arizona has already hosted two professional golf events in 2023 and is on tap to host four more.

Three of them are being played over the next two weeks, with one of them to be played for the third straight year in Mesa, another returning to the state after a four-year absence and one making its first-ever stop in the Grand Canyon State.

Longbow Golf Club in Mesa is hosting the Epson Tour’s Carlisle Arizona Golf Classic March 16-19. The Epson Tour is the LPGA’s developmental tour, and is currently holding its 43rd season. The tour has been taking significant steps to help its players succeed. Before the start of this season, Epson announced it would pay for all the yardage books each week as well as cover entry fees for Q-Series for the golfers who finish Nos. 11-35 on the Official Money List at season’s end. (The top 10 players earn LPGA cards for the next season). Past tour alums include former Arizona Wildcat Lorena Ochoa, Inbee Park, Nelly Korda and former Arizona State Sun Devil Grace Park. Fatima Fernandez Cano is the defending champion.

In Marana, just north of Tucson, the Gallery Golf Club will host LIV Golf League’s first Arizona event, March 17-19. The breakaway LIV circuit features former PGA Tour stars Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia. LIV Golf, which also has a team element, is almost exclusively financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which was organized in 1971 as a means for the Saudi Arabian government to invest in various projects and companies. The PIF is estimated to be worth over $650 billion. LIV reportedly paid nine-figure, guaranteed contracts to attract some of the PGA Tour’s bigger names. LIV tournaments are 54 holes and do not have a cut, guaranteeing prize money for all participants. After being exclusively on YouTube in 2022, the league has a multi-year TV partnership starting in 2023, with Saturday and Sunday rounds live on the CW; Friday’s first round is available on the CW app as well as the LIV Golf League website. The Tucson event is the second of 14 on the LIV Golf League’s 2023 schedule, up from eight last year.

The following week, the LPGA marks its return to Arizona. The tour last played there in 2019 at the Wildfire Golf Club at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort. The 2023 LPGA Drive On Championship will be March 23-26 at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club, which hosted the LPGA from 2004 to 2008 with the Safeway International. The last two years at Superstition Mountain, attendance for the Safeway broke the 150,000 mark for the week and was the highest-attended event on the tour that season. This is the fourth event on the LPGA’s 2023 schedule and the first in the U.S. since the season opener six weeks ago in Florida. LPGA winners so far in 2023 are Brooke Henderson, Lilia Vu (who graduated from the Epson Tour last season) and Jin Young Ko, who won the last LPGA event in Arizona in 2019. Ko is among the headliners in the Drive On field. Top-ranked Lydia Ko and fifth-ranked Minjee Lee are not on the entry list but the rest of the tour’s big names are, including the Korda sisters (Nelly and Jessica), Danielle Kang, Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, Sei Young Kim, Jennifer Kupcho, Stacy Lewis, Anna Nordqvist, Yealimi Noh and Atthaya Thitikul.

In February, TPC Scottsdale hosted the PGA Tour's WM Phoenix Open; 10 days ago, the PGA Tour Champions staged the Cologuard Classic at Omni Tucson National. In November, the Champions tour will return for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club.

More:Marana golf course under fire for removal of two saguaro cactuses without permits

Chip shots

Arizona State freshman Luke Potter is No. 7 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin men's individual collegiate rankings. ASU is No. 2 in the team rankings behind only Vanderbilt. Arizona is No. 17.

On the women's side, Ashley Menne is ASU's highest-ranked player at No. 19. ASU is No. 10 and Arizona is No. 15 in the women's team rankings.

Golfweek’s Adam Woodard contributed to this article.

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TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The future of water remains a topic of concern in southern Arizona, especially on the heels of some neighborhoods and in other parts of Arizona running out. Recently, the town of Marana and city of Tucson spoke on the topic.

KGUN 9 reached out to those leaders to find out just where Marana and Tucson stand when it comes to our water.

Both the town of Marana and city of Tucson get their water from three different sources.

Those sources include CAP water which is from the Colorado River. The second is reclaimed water, which is waste water that's been treated. The third is ground water stored in the earth from the rain.

Currently local leaders say Tucson has one of the strongest water supplies in the western United States.

"More recently, we've been purchasing all of our available river water through the CAP and storing that and using that for later," John Kmiec, Director of Tucson Water, said. "The early 1980's Tucson Water was one of the first major utilities in the state of Arizona to develop a reclaimed water system. Where we're utilizing highly treated wastewater effluent for non drinking water throughout the community."

More water coverage in southern Arizona:

Kmiec says Tucson currently uses 104.191 acre feet a year of water from the Colorado River, even though the city doesn't use it all.

"That excess water has been banked in the aquifer in Avra valley and in South Tucson for future Tucsonans to use," Kmiec said.

Tucson city leaders are also working on banning ornamental grass.

"So it wouldn't affect single family homes, wouldn't affect schools, parks, places where active recreation is going," Kmiec said. "But it would address those areas where turf is more used as important ornamental piece."

Meanwhile the town of Marana has nearly doubled its population in the past decade. Its city manager Terry Rozema says they have enough water but are working to secure more.

"We're in the middle of a Water Task Force. We're identifying different sources," Rozema said. "We are have an application in with the State Department of Water to increase our designation of assured water supply to essentially double it to approximately 15,000 acre feet. So that we will be able to serve our community well into the future."

While other communities in Arizona like Rio Verde Foothills in Scottsdale run out of water, Rozema says Marana and Tucson residents shouldn't have that concern.

"Do people have to be concerned or worried that we're going to run out of water, that one day they're going to turn on the faucet and no water is going to come out?" Rozema said. " That's just not going to happen."

Rozema recently posted a podcast where he discusses the future of Tucson and Marana's water. To listen, click here.

——-Denelle Confair is an anchor and investigative reporter for KGUN 9. It's been her dream to tell your stories for the past decade. She is extremely curious and wants to continue to use her storytelling for the greater good. Share your story ideas and important issues with Denelle by emailing denelle.confair@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, and Twitter.

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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The award-winning Marana Founders' Day celebration is returning to 11555 W. Civic Center Dr. from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 18.

The 44-year-old parade is the recipient of the 2022 Outstanding Program Award for the Best Cultural Awareness program from the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association.

This year, there's going to be a car show by Obsessions Car Club, live cultural performances, historical experiences, a "creation station" by Lucky Cat Social Art, more than 30 artisan vendors, a chalk art alley, inflatable jumping castles, and a free photo booth.

And, you'll need to eat, right? There's going to be more than 25 food trucks and vendors will be dishing out the goods on Marana Main Street.

So, head on out to Marana chow down with the whole dang family. It's not every day you're able to grab a coffee from Al Gusto Coffee, chomp on a churro, slurp down a bowl of noodles, and eat pulled pork all in one place. The food trucks and vendors will be spread out in the area, so be sure to bring your walking shoes and a hefty appetite.

Below is the list of food providers (subject to change) at the Marana Founders' Day party.

Participating Food Vendors

All guests are encouraged to bring their own seating and come early to find a great spot along the parade route on Marana Main Street. Expect to see the likes of tractors and mini vehicles scootin' along, marching bands, local public figures, and more.

Entertainment Schedule

Even if you're not a Marana resident, it'll be a great opportunity to get to meet new folks and learn about the history of the town.

Driving Directions & Parking Information

If you are coming via I-10, they advise you to use the Marana Road exit (exit 236) because the Tangerine Road exit will have directions posted for another event in the area.

You can park at the MHC Healthcare parking lot or any open dirt lot in the areas along Marana Main Street.

The event coordinators have even put together a nifty map.

The parade and festivities will take place at 11555 W. Civic Center Dr., Marana, Arizona. For more information, visit maranaaz.gov.

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