Mobile Baykeeper announced Saturday, April 18, that it will pause its water testing efforts in coastal Alabama due to a lack of funding.

The environmental advocacy nonprofit has released its SWIM (Swim Where It's Monitored) reports since 2017, monitoring 20 sites across Mobile and Baldwin counties for bacteria like E. coli and other indicators of water quality.

In Baldwin County, the testing has been critical for popular swimming areas like Cold Hole in Magnolia Springs, where last summer Baykeeper reported consistent readings at nearly three times the Environmental Protection Agency's recommended safe swimming level.

"We don't have enough designated funding to keep it going, and our limited resources are better spent tracking down and solving the sources of pollution. If we're able to secure that funding, we'll bring it back," Baykeeper said in a Saturday Facebook post.

Responding to a comment seeking clarification, Baykeeper said it is actively looking for corporate sponsors "who want to be part of protecting the health of our waters and our way of life." Those interested in partnering with Baykeeper can email info@mobilebaykeeper.org.

While the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is the primary state agency responsible for water quality monitoring across Alabama, organizations like Baykeeper help fill gaps in reporting and work with municipalities to identify pollution sources.

"There are so many waterways around here that people either swim, kayak or fish," Cassie Bates, Baykeeper staff scientist, told Gulf Coast Media during the Cold Hole spikes. "It's great that there are some sites that are being monitored, but there's room for so many more."

Baykeeper's SWIM report compiles collected data alongside ADEM's in an interactive map on the organization's website. Results are also distributed via social media weekly from April through September and monthly from October through March.

"That was the purpose of us starting the program — not only to fill those gaps, but to try to synthesize the data that we're collecting in addition to the data that was being collected by the state and other entities, all in one place that's convenient for people to check on a regular basis."