The Grades are in!

Highlights:

For the first time the Report Card includes 10 years of data and an assessment of how water quality is trending in each region of the Sound.
This report gives a welcome stamp of approval for more than a decade’s worth of federal and state investment in improvements to sewage treatment facilities in both Connecticut and New York, conducted with the leadership of EPA.
Overall there have been improvements to water quality in the Sound over the past decade, despite increasing population and pressures from a warming climate.
The Eastern Narrows, off the coast of Westchester and Nassau Counties, showed the most dramatic improvement going from a D+ in 2008 to a B- in 2017.
The most positive results were found in the measurement of dissolved oxygen in the open Sound waters, a crucial barometer for the health of the waterway.

There’s more work to be done:

The Western Narrows, home to New York City, remained stalled at an “F” grade (45%) since 2008.
Grades only apply to “open water” conditions – individual bays and harbors face continued challenges.