BAY CITY, MI -- A years-in-the-making, $1 million conservation project spanning roughly the size of a football field won’t be seen by many humans, because it lies at the bottom of Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay.

But that project -- an artificial reef intended to restore native fish habitat -- is now gaining a different kind of visibility, by way of a new documentary film.

The mini-documentary “Coreyon" tells the story of the Coreyon rock reef restoration, a nearly decade-long endeavor by local, state and federal organizations to reconstruct spawning habitat for species such as walleye, lake whitefish, lake trout and cisco.

The goal of the 15-minute film, produced by Grand Rapids-based production company Fauna Creative, is to help people understand not only why the project is essential to the health of the bay and of greater Lake Huron, but also to let people know that the reef is even there.

“The thing that is really unique about this project is that after it’s complete, nobody will be able to see it,” said Michael Kelly, director of the Great Lakes office for The Conservation Fund, one of the organizations involved in the project. “It’s not every day we spend a million dollars on restoration efforts, so we wanted to make sure we had some way to document what happened, so people would understand the importance of the project and what’s out there in the bay.”

RELATED: Tons of boulders creating new $1 million reef in Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay

Saginaw Bay historically had a rocky bottom that supported native fish populations, but with the advent of logging, farming and manufacturing practices in that area in the early to mid-20th century, most of the bay’s natural reefs were covered up by silt running off the land. The loss of those reefs decimated the reef-dependent walleye population and impacted other fish species as well.

When complete, the new reef -- constructed of nearly 23,000 tons of rocks -- should help rebuild sustainable fish populations, Kelly said. That’s not only important for the ecological balance of the lake, he said, but also has significance for the recreational fishing industry in the area, estimated to be worth $30 million annually.

In the meantime, “Coreyon” will make the rounds at film festivals. It debuted at the Thunder Bay International Film Festival in Alpena late last week, and is available to watch in its entirety on YouTube.

“My hope is that people will look at this film and understand why this investment out in Saginaw Bay was made, and really build an appreciation for this tremendous resource we have out there,” Kelly said. “If we can continue to work to repair and restore and enhance Saginaw Bay, not only is it going to benefit the fish and wildlife there, but it’s also going to benefit the communities that surround the bay as well.”

RELATED: Think you know about Great Lakes birds? This new short film will amaze you