Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Dissolved Oxygen Maps for Summer 2015

During the summer of 2015, DEEP's Long Island Sound Water Quality Monitoring Program continued to monitor the extent of summertime hypoxia. The Program collects water samples for nutrient analysis and water quality parameters from 17 stations, as well as phytoplankton and zooplankton samples from 6 stations located throughout the Sound. An additional 20 – 30 stations are being sampled during the summer for dissolved oxygen to get a more accurate idea of the extent of hypoxia.

Maps showing the extent of low dissolved oxygen in Long Island Sound are posted as soon as possible after each survey.

Sampling dates are scheduled throughout the summer and into September if hypoxia persists beyond Labor Day. Select a sampling date below to view the progression of hypoxia in the western Sound throughout the summer.

July 6-8, 2015

July 20-23, 2015

August 3-6, 2015

August 17-19, 2015

August 31-September 2, 2015

September 16, 2015