USFS Seaplane Base
The Only USFA Floatplane Base
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Seaplane Base is the only USFS-staffed floatplane base in the country. Operating since 1929 on Shagawa Lake, it supports the Superior National Forest with fire fighting, search and rescue, and resource management using historic de Havilland Beaver aircraft.
Base Functions
Primary functions of the base include spotting and suppressing wildfires, search and rescue missions, transporting personnel/equipment to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), and resource surveys (moose, fish, timber). The base operates a fleet of classic De Havilland Beaver DHC-2 aircraft, often equipped with 125-gallon water-dropping tanks. The facility features a hangar and maintenance shop for these vintage planes. During winter, staff convert the operation to skis, building runways on the frozen Shagawa Lake.