Good water quality and quantity as well as the presence of a diverse, abundant fish population are all signs of a healthy and functional watershed.
That was the conclusion reached by the Horse Creek Stewardship Program’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG), which approved the program’s most recent annual report illustrating that mining and reclamation activities occurring during this program have not adversely impacted Horse Creek, a major tributary of the Peace River.
In 2003, the Horse Creek Stewardship Program established Mosaic and the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority (Authority) as stewards of the watershed jointly responsible for ensuring that mining activities would not interfere with the Authority’s ability to withdraw water from the Peace River for potable use. The TAG includes representatives from each of the Authority’s four-member governments including Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties and Mosaic.
Funded by Mosaic, the agreement was created with the dual purpose of: establishing a protocol for collecting data about the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of Horse Creek water resources during Mosaic’s mining activities in the watershed and providing mechanisms for corrective action.
For the 16th consecutive year, this meticulous monitoring, investigation and evaluation process has revealed no negative impacts on Horse Creek water resources resulting from Mosaic’s mining operation.
Being good stewards of local water sources is an important part of what we do at Mosaic. This program demonstrates that protective measures taken while mining can and will effectively preserve water quality in the surrounding systems.
