In October 2025, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission completed construction of a nearshore rock reef by Channel Island in Saginaw Bay which will increase fish habitat and native species resilience.
Native fish like lake whitefish, walleye, lake trout, and burbot use rock reefs as spawning grounds because the small crevices in the rocks help protect their eggs from predators and strong currents. These structures used to be abundant in the Bay but development on nearby land led to their decline. The recently completed project is a key element in restoring and protecting Saginaw Bay’s fisheries.
The Channel Island Reef was funded through federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Habitat Conservation and the Dow Chemical Natural Resources Damage Assessment settlement.
To learn more, read the press release on the GLFC’s website: Channel Island Reef Construction in Saginaw Bay Increasing Fish Spawning Habitat and Resilience Along Northeast Shoreline