DAPHNE, Ala. — The Alabama Department of Public Health said this week will be an evaluation period for Dauphin Island, Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach where swimming advisories exist. After examinations, officials will decide if swimming advisories can be lifted.

There have been no advisories posted for any area of the Eastern Shore, related to the oil spill, since this incident began back in April.

All of Mobile Bay is open for fishing, swimming and other recreational activities with the exception of a catch-and-release fishing advisory for the extreme southern end of the bay and south into state waters of the Gulf.

Eastern Shore update

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s latest 72-hour trajectory indicates south-southeast winds will continue onshore through today before taking a west-northwest turn Thursday as the high-pressure system that has kept temperatures along Alabama’s Gulf Coast in check the past few weeks gives way to the hotter temperatures associated with the region’s typical hurricane season.

While the moderate winds could bring remaining oil ashore along Alabama’s barrier islands in the coming days, satellite imagery indicates the surface oil continues to dissipate into smaller patches.

Ken Eslava, Fairhope’s assistant public-works director and the city’s oil-spill coordinator, reports that the Pier Street Operations post in Fairhope will operate on a skeleton-crew level for a day or so, until assessments have been completed and appropriately sized response crews are re-deployed.

The same goes for the Vessels of Opportunity program operation based from the Fairhope Municipal Pier.

The Pier Street ramp is open to the public between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Fairhope is working closely with Eastern Shore Marine (on Fly Creek) and BP to get these operations relocated to Eastern Shore Marine, officials said. 

As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, neither Spanish Fort nor Daphne officials reported any changes to their ongoing oil spill response plans.