SAGINAW, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), as well as many other state and federal environmental organizations, completed construction on a 2.5-acre artificial rock reef by Channel Island in Saginaw Bay on Oct. 10, with the hopes of providing a habitat for declining fish species like whitefish to thrive.

A restoration effort.

According to a report on the project from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC), Saginaw Bay is home to an abundance of marine species, including whitefish and walleye. These creatures once spawned eggs amongst natural reefs on the bay shores, but sediment deposits from human activities and invasive species degraded the reefs over time, threatening the local fish species.

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The artificial reef aimed to restore this habitat. Coreyon Reef, a 2-acre Saginaw Bay artificial reef created in 2019 11 miles away from shore, demonstrated beneficial effects on the fish biodiversity, so GLFC and partners decided to add another reef close to Channel Island.

“Saginaw Bay once had all kinds of fish habitat—coastal wetlands, connected tributaries, and rocky reefs—and each one mattered,” said Jeff Jolley, fisheries biologist with the DNR in a story for Michigan Sea Grant. “Logging, farming, industry, and other land use changes led to the loss of many of those areas. This reef restoration is a step toward bringing that good habitat back—for the fish, and for the people of this community who are proud to see their Bay thrive once again.”

Constructing the reef.

During September 2025, ships placed roughly 20,000 tons of limestone rock on the bay floor half a mile away from Channel Island, creating a massive pile of rock with the volume of a large concert hall beneath the surface, according to the GLFC. The reef cost $1.74 million in total.

The project was completed on Oct. 10. GLFC said in the report that researchers will continue to monitor the reef for fish species and fishing opportunities.

Organizations also involved in the project included the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, Michigan Sea Grant, and Michigan State University Extension.