By Shannon Fiecke, Staff Writer It was the beautiful waters of Minnesota that inspired John Crooks’ lifelong career in water management and it’s what drew the Illinois native to the ...

Shagawa Lake is located in Ely, Minn. Each season when Shagawa Lake reaches ... a landing strip 1,600 feet long and 60 feet wide with balsam fir tree tops marking every 200 feet on either side.

We have another state record right here in Koochiching county. Balsam fir’s scientific name is Abies balsamea. It is often misidentified as a Christmas tree or pine tree. It is not a pine ...