Great Lakes water levels are at a 10-year low due to dry weather and a natural cycle, affecting boaters but not shipping.

Great Lakes water levels have dropped to their lowest in about a decade, 30 to 40 centimeters below normal, due to dry weather and a natural 15-year cycle, according to Mike McKay of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research. The decline has caused extended beaches, shallow docks, and challenges for boaters, but shipping remains unaffected thanks to dredging. While some wetlands are drying temporarily, reducing nutrient filtration, major environmental or economic impacts are not expected. The low levels follow severe flooding and erosion in 2018 and 2019, and experts say the trend will likely continue for several more years, with only minor recovery possible in the coming winter.