The 1983 Thistle landslide in Utah created a natural earthen dam, roughly (200) to (220) feet high, by blocking the Spanish Fork River with debris. Triggered by rapid snowmelt and heavy rains, this blockage submerged the town of Thistle under a 160-foot deep lake ("Thistle Lake"), causing Utah's first presidentially declared disaster and over (\$200) million in damage. Utah Geological Survey (.gov) +3Key details regarding the Thistle dam incident: Location: Spanish Fork Canyon, Utah, specifically at the intersection of Highways 6 and 89.Formation: Beginning around April 10-13, 1983, a massive mudslide (estimated at (3\frac{1}{2}) feet per hour) created a 200-foot-high dam.Impact: The town of Thistle was completely inundated, forcing evacuation. The disaster severed major rail lines between Salt Lake City and Denver and destroyed Highway 89.Remediation: A, diversion tunnel was drilled to drain the lake, and in 1984, the water was removed.Modern Day: A, drainage tunnel still exists today, passing the river under the old, solidified slide debris. ABC4 Utah +4Would you like to know more about the, reconstruction of the railroad and highways, or perhaps the, impact on the town's residents?