Land use changes, including logging and agriculture, caused sedimentation buildup and contributed to the loss of reef habitat in the inner Saginaw Bay, Michigan. Multiple factors contributed to the collapse of Saginaw Bay’s walleye fishery and negatively impacted local populations of lake whitefish, lake trout, and other species.

Working on behalf of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission (GLFC) and project partners, ECT and the project team developed a two-acre near-shore fish spawning reef along northeast shoreline of Channel Island. The primary focus of the new reef is to increase spawning habitat for native fish like walleye, lake whitefish and others. The secondary focus is to increase fishing opportunities and diversify spawning habitat to facilitate a more resilient and diverse fish population. reef restoration design for the construction of a near-shore reef in Saginaw Bay.

The team designed the reef based on lessons learned from natural and restored reefs within the Great Lakes, including the recently completed Coreyon Reef project in 2021. ECT completed all necessary data collection, engineering, permitting and construction oversight for the inner bay reef.

Saginaw Bay’s Walleye fishery was historically sustained by river-based spawning within one or two rivers, which left the fishery vulnerable to events that might harm spawning success within these rivers. Restoring the bay’s reefs helped to address this vulnerability by diversifying the type and location of spawning habitat. Construction of the inner bay reef near Channel Island reef began in fall of 2025 and was completed in less than 2 months.