Improve Watershed Health

Improve the ecosystem health of Long Island Sound and its watershed through protection and positive land use practices.

To protect Long Island Sound and its watershed, the Long Island Sound Partnership focuses on reducing the impacts of development and land use. Impervious surfaces and land conversion can increase runoff and pollution. Using sustainable land practices helps reduce these effects and supports the long-term health of the Sound. 

Key strategies include expanding urban tree cover, conserving forests and open spaces, and improving riparian buffers—vegetated areas along rivers and streams. These buffers help filter pollutants, reduce erosion, and support biodiversity. Together, these actions improve water quality, protect habitats, and build climate resilience. 

The Partnership works with communities and uses data from the National Land Cover Database and other sources to track land use trends and progress. A report will be developed by 2030 that documents the extent of riparian buffers and land protection across the watershed. 

The main goals are to: 

• Establish and maintain 100-foot-wide riparian buffers along 75% of waterways and in 90% of subbasins 
• Permanently protect 35% of the Long Island Sound watershed by 2035 

Changes in forest cover and impervious surfaces will also be used to measure progress. Protecting land in key areas prevents habitat loss, reduces stormwater pollution, and preserves ecosystems that serve as natural defenses against climate impacts. Priority will be given to areas that improve water quality, support biodiversity, build climate resilience, and expand access to green spaces. 

These targets align with broader efforts such as the “30 by 30” initiative, which aims to protect 30% of land by 2030 in support of both environmental and community health. 

Actions

• Preserve, restore, and steward natural landscapes and the ecosystem services they provide through land conservation and protection efforts beyond the coastal boundary.
• Implement nature-based solutions that improve and maintain water quality and ecosystem health.