Long Island Sound's water quality improves; Western Narrows passes since 2008

Save the Sound released its 2026 Long Island Sound Report Card, showing that water quality improved or remained stable across all five open-water regions of the Sound. The biennial report, based on 2025 monitoring data and detailed on Save the Sound's own Report Card project page, grades the open Sound using four water quality indicators and 62 bay segments across 46 bays and harbours using five. The standout finding indicated the historically worst-performing region, the Western Narrows near New York City. They posted their first passing grade in nearly two decades. Here's how each region fared, and what's driving the improvement.Western Narrows earns its first passing grade since 2008The Western Narrows, which includes the waters around New York City, received a D grade in the 2026 report, Fox Weather reports, marking the biggest improvement of any region and the first time it has received a passing grade since Save the Sound began grading the area in 2008. Every prior year, the Western Narrows had received an F. Save the Sound's own project page notes the organisation has long identified high nitrogen and nutrient levels as the biggest overall problem affecting the Sound's healt...