e elevated water table is a prominent feature of the Florida ecosystem. Frequent surface appearance of the aquifer has produced a patchwork of wetlands, streams, rivers and presents an issue for the efficient extraction of the phosphate rock deposit by draglines. If the opencast pit contains water, dragline operators have difficulty identifying the boundary between the ore and overburden, potentially result- ing in the loss of ore or dilution by barren rock. To maintain dry excavations and an efficient operating environment, the water table may be depressed to a level below the ore by pumping from wells or sumps. However, this may lead to negative effects on the sur- rounding water-sensitive ecosystem
