The Baldwin County Health Department has issued a swimming advisory for the waters of Wolf Bay along Orange Beach Waterfront Park after testing showed bacteria levels above what officials consider safe. The health department is urging residents and visitors to avoid swimming, wading or other direct contact with the water while the advisory remains in effect.
Waterfront Park is a popular public space along the Bear Point Peninsula used for fishing, kayaking and other outdoor activities. Officials have not identified a specific cause for the elevated bacteria levels and have not given a timeline for when the advisory will be lifted, saying only that new water testing will determine when conditions return to safe limits.
Nichole Woerner with Orange Beach Coastal Resources said several factors could be contributing to the contamination, including charter boats that may be emptying tanks in the back bay and heavy localized rainfall that can cause leaky septic systems to discharge into nearby tributaries. She said the city is expanding its water quality testing with help from the Pensacola Perdido Bay National Estuary Program, particularly during conditions that would not typically be expected to cause a spike in bacteria.
Advisories like this one are common along Gulf Coast waterways, especially after heavy rain events. The Baldwin County Health Department monitors water quality at public access points across the county and said it will notify the public as soon as conditions improve. Residents with questions can contact the health department at 251-947-1910 or check the ADEM/ADPH Coastal Alabama Beach Monitoring Program’s website for updates.