Thistle Drainage Tunnel on September 28, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 43, Photo 83207-69.
date: 9/28/1983
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Construction Work at the Thistle Lake Drain Tunnel on September 28, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 44, Photo 83207-14.
date: 9/28/1983
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Box of Core Samples Taken at Thistle on September 28, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 44, Photo 83207-40.
date: 9/28/1983
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Mudslide and Thistle Lake on September 29, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 46, Photo 83208-4.
date: 9/29/1983
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Halls Falls Water Diversion Area Near Thistle Lake on September 29, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 46, Photo 83208-29.
date: 9/29/1983
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Lake Overlook on September 30, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 48, Photo 83209-11.
date: 9/30/1983
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Road Signs on the Stewart Road Near Thistle on September 30, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 48, Photo 83209-27.
date: 9/30/1983
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Opening the Drainage Tunnel at Thistle Lake on October 01, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 49, Photo 83210-109.
date: 1983-10-01
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image

Thistle Lake Drainage Tunnel on October 01, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 49, Photo 83210-142.
date: 10/1/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

View of the Route 6 Road Cut from the Spanish Fork River on October 01, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 51, Photo 83210-75.
date: 10/1/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Halls Falls and Thistle Water Diversion Area on October 01, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 52, Photo 83210-101.
date: 10/1/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Debris Around the Thistle Water Diversion Intake on October 05, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 53, Photo 83212-36.
date: 10/5/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Diversion Tunnel on October 05, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 53, Photo 83212-41.
date: 10/5/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Mud Slide and Thistle Lake Shore on October 05, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 53, Photo 83212-47.
date: 10/5/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Aerial View of Thistle Lake and Thistle Construction Area on October 03, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 55, Photo 83217-21.
date: 10/3/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Aerial View of Thistle Lake on October 03, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 55, Photo 83217-62.
date: 10/3/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Aerial View of the Thistle Mud Slide on October 03, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 56, Photo 83217-1.
date: 10/3/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Aerial View of Spanish Fork Canyon Road Diversion Construction on October 03, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 56, Photo 83217-9.
date: 10/3/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Aerial View of Billies Mountain and Thistle Mud Slide on October 03, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 56, Photo 83217-37.
date: 10/3/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Detour Sign on October 19, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 57, Photo 83219-19.
date: 10/19/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Railroad Diversion Tunnels on October 19, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 58, Photo 83219-10.
date: 10/19/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Construction Equipment and Workers at Thistle on October 19, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 58, Photo 83219-23.
date: 10/19/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Lake Drainage Tunnel on October 19, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 58, Photo 83219-60.
date: 10/19/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Mud Slide Area on November 09, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 60, Photo 83234-28.
date: 11/9/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Road Diversion Construction on November 09, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 60, Photo 83234-69.
date: 11/9/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Road Paving Near Thistle on November 09, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 61, Photo 83234-72.
date: 11/9/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Road Closed Sign Near Thistle on November 09, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 62, Photo 83234-13.
date: 11/9/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

House on Thistle Lake on November 10, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 64, Photo 83235-15.
date: 11/10/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Lake at Sunset on November 10, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 66, Photo 83235-68.
date: 11/10/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

UDOT Vehicle and Workers at Thistle on November 10, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 66, Photo 83235-71.
date: 11/10/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Earth Moving Equipment at Thistle on November 10, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 68, Photo 83235-126.
date: 11/10/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Road Diversion Construction Near Thistle on November 11, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 69, Photo 83236-13.
date: 11/11/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Highway 89 Submerged at Thistle on November 12, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 71, Photo 83237-24.
date: 11/12/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Aerial View of the Thistle Mud Slide and Construction Area on November 15, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 72, Photo 83238-21.
date: 11/15/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Aerial View of the Thistle Drainage Tunnel on November 15, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 73, Photo 83238-35.
date: 11/15/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Aerial View of the Thistle Railroad Diversion Construction Area on November 15, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 73, Photo 83238-50.
date: 11/15/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Aerial View of the Thistle Mud Slide on November 15, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 2, Folder 73, Photo 83238-53.
date: 11/15/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Road Cut and Road Construction Near Thistle on November 16, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 2, Photo 83239-52.
date: 11/16/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Debris Excavation on November 16, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 4, Photo 83239-125.
date: 11/16/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Equipment Failure at the Thistle Construction Site on November 16, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 6, Photo 83239-189.
date: 11/16/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Railroad Diversion Tunnels at Thistle on November 17, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 7, Photo 83240-1.
date: 11/17/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image

Interior of a Thistle Railroad Diversion Tunnel on November 17, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 7, Photo 83240-7.
date: 11/17/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Road Paving Near Thistle on November 23, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 8, Photo 83247-15.
date: 11/23/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Thistle Railroad Diversion Tunnels on November 29, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 11, Photo 83249-77.
date: 11/29/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Looking Out of a Railroad Diversion Tunnel at Thistle on November 29, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 11, Photo 83249-84.
date: 11/29/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Construction Equipment at Thistle on November 29. 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 12, Photo 83249-20.
date: 11/29/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Heavy Trucks at the Road Cut Near Thistle on November 29, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 13, Photo 83249-46.
date: 11/29/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Heavy Trucks Moving Earth Near Thistle on November 29, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 16, Photo 83249-175.
date: 11/29/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

View of Thistle Lake on November 30, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 20, Photo 83250-51.
date: 11/30/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage

Aerial View of Billies Mountain and Thistle Lake on December 05, 1983
subject: US 89 (Utah County)--Photographs
subject: Disasters--Utah-Spanish Fork Canyon
description: This image documents the Thistle Flood that began in April 1983 with a massive mud slide that created an earthen dam, blocking the flow of the Spanish Fork River. In addition to severing Highway 89 as a transportation route, the dam destroyed the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks, cutting off the railroad link between Salt Lake and Denver. As flood waters rose, the town of Thistle (located on Highway 89) was inundated with the water that would form Thistle Lake. Massive construction efforts were made between 1983 and 1984 to reconstruct rail and road lines, as well as divert and drain water from Thistle Lake into the nearby Spanish Fork River.
creator: Utah Department of Transportation
source: Utah State Archives and Records Service, Official Photographs: Thistle Disaster Documentation, Series 25229, Box 3, Folder 25, Photo 83252-29.
date: 12/5/83
rights: Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the Utah State Archives, phone (801) 533-3535.
format: image/jpeg
language: eng
type: Image
type: StillImage