Gunflint Lake tower ownership transferring to NOAA

Ownership of the Gunflint Lake tower, which provides radio coverage and weather updates for the upper Gunflint Trail area and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, will soon be transferred from Cook County to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

For the past few years, county officials have been in discussions with NOAA and the National Weather Service (NWS) to explore transferring ownership of the Gunflint Lake tower and associated equipment after the tower was recognized as “mission-critical infrastructure.”

The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved the updated lease agreement terms, including the transfer of ownership of the tower, at the May 26 meeting. NOAA has agreed to also upgrade the tower’s equipment.

“They’re going to be upgrading all the equipment, and they’re going to be creating a weather station for that location, so that information will be more accurate,” said Jay DeCoux, Cook County’s radio communications analyst.

DeCoux said, “The station is actually going to be an independent station now with information that is based on the weather at Gunflint Lake.”

The transfer of ownership will reduce the cost of hiring contractors to repair tower equipment, DeCoux said. Moving forward, the county will be responsible only for providing electricity to the tower and maintaining access to it, which it has done for decades.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Jay DeCoux, Cook County’s radio communications analyst, about the history of the Gunflint Lake tower, the updated lease agreement terms between Cook County and the NWS/NOAA, and the county’s responsibilities moving forward. Audio below.

Kalli Hawkins June 13, 2026