Changing water levels in the Great Lakes and their connecting waterways have caused problems this summer for recreational boaters, beachgoers and the shipping industry.

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From Drummond Island along Lake Huron to St. Clair Shores along Lake St. Clair, those along the water are reporting problems like low water levels and muck on beaches, the Detroit Free Press reported Sunday.

"It's not just down a little -- it's down a lot," said Jim Doran, of Macomb County's Harrison Township.

Doran bought his house on Lake St. Clair six years ago and has never been able to take his boat out from his dock. Garbage, weeds, dead fish, bottles and rotting seaweed have piled up along the shore.

"It's not a pretty sight," Doran said. "And it smells."

Fewer boat wells are being used in some places, the newspaper said, and some people are keeping boats out of the water.

"Lots of boaters aren't willing to risk going out in shallow water," St. Clair Shores City Manager Ken Podolski said.

Lake levels began dropping in the late 1990s. Lakes Erie and Ontario have recovered to long-term averages. By midsummer, Lakes Huron and Michigan were 18 inches below their long-term norm, while Superior was down 8 inches.

By midsummer, Lake St. Clair was down 7 inches.

For the Great Lakes shipping industry, lower water levels result in lost revenue. For every inch of water lost, a 1,000-foot freighter can lose the ability to carry about 270 tons of cargo per trip.

"We're down 200 to 500 tons per trip, compared to last year," said Glen Nekvasil, spokesman for the Lake Carriers' Association in Cleveland.