An airport’s story: Detroit Lakes–Becker County

air strip

During the 1920s, a pasture west of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, was used as an informal flying field. In 1928, the City of Detroit Lakes purchased a 210-acre farm, including the field used by the pilots. Thus began a long history of flying into this beautiful lake-filled area in northwestern Minnesota.

The airport is governed by the Detroit Lakes/Becker County Airport Commission. The commission operates under a joint operating agreement between the city and Becker County.

Twenty years ago, the main runway was 4,500 feet long and 75 feet wide with a partial parallel taxiway. The airport had a number of safety concerns: US Highway 10 was located in the runway safety area, wastewater settling ponds attracted wildlife, and the airport lacked a full parallel taxiway.

The airport commission began to look at resolving these issues, along with expanding the runway to accommodate a growing list of aircraft that needed more length to be able to use the airport. 

“The project was stalled for several years in the ‘purpose and need’ section of the environmental assessment process,” says Mark Hagen, current chair of the airport commission and a member since 1992.

A requirement of the environmental assessment was proof that there would be enough corporate and private aircraft traffic to warrant the project. Specifically, the airport needed to prove that jet operations would increase by at least 900 per year. The commission secured statements from several private and commercial airplane owners indicating that they would use the airport more often if it had a longer runway.

“It is a major issue for a general aviation airport that does not have scheduled commercial operations to prove the need for a runway expansion. You have to search and find users who are currently not using the airport and ask them to write a letter which states they will use the airport if it is expanded,” Hagen explains. “This would be similar to building a motel and having the banker requiring the potential guest’s names during the loan process.”

Mead & Hunt provided the professional experience to navigate the many hurdles associated with the complex project. In 2016, the environment assessment process ended with a finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) issued by the FAA.

The next step, designing the airfield renovations, occurred in the winter of 2016–17. In addition, the project included filling nearly 30 acres of decommissioned wastewater settling ponds to mitigate the wildlife attractants in proximity to the extended runway.

Before the construction could begin, the airport had to secure funding. The budget was estimated at $25 million, and the FAA agreed to cover 90 percent of the cost. The State of Minnesota contributed 5 percent, Becker County kicked in 2.5 percent, and the City of Detroit Lakes matched the county’s 2.5 percent.

It was a long process, but the new Runway 13/31 opened July 30, 2020, after 17 years of planning and a four-year phased construction program. It’s now 5,200 feet long and 100 feet wide with state-of-the-art runway lights, precision approach path indicators (PAPI), and guidance signs. A full parallel taxiway eliminates aircraft taxiing on the runway. A precision instrument approach and lighting system will help with landings during low-visibility conditions.

At the same time crews extended the runway, they also upgraded airfield lighting and signs, added supplemental wind cones, and installed PAPIs on both ends of Runway 14-32. In addition, four miles of wildlife and security fence were installed in 2021.

A ribbon cutting was held on August 13, 2021, at the airport, where family members of Duane “Doc” Wething, a driving force of the airport, performed the honors. Wething passed away in January of 2020 before the project came to final completion but with the knowledge that it would happen. He was involved with the airport for more than 70 years­, serving for more than 50 on the Airport Commission. His contributions to aviation in both Minnesota and the Detroit Lakes area were recognized in 2001 with the official naming of the airport “Wething Field.”

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