What triggered the Thistle Utah landslide?
What triggered the Thistle Utah landslide?
Record-breaking precipitation in the fall of 1982, followed by a deep winter snow pack, then warm spring temperatures and rapid snowmelt in 1983 set the stage for the Thistle landslide. Once triggered, the slide reached a maximum speed of 3.5 feet per hour and dammed Spanish Fork River within a few days.
When was the Thistle landslide?
April 10, 1983
Beginning on April 10, 1983, and continuing through May of that year, a massive landslide occurred on the west side of the Spanish Fork Canyon. The landslide is located about 3,000 ft north of the site of the town of Thistle, in Utah County, Utah.
How long did the Thistle landslide last?
The landslide closed the main railroad for three months, and US‑6 and US‑89 for eight months, during which time transportation between the communities of eastern and southeastern Utah and the rest of the state was substantially impaired.
What caused the formation of Lake Thistle?
The waters of the Spanish Fork River rapidly created Thistle Lake upstream of the landslide dam. Railroad experts in consultation with the state decided to form the landslide into a dam and to construct an overflow spillway tunnel to control the uppermost rise of the lake.
Does anyone live in Thistle Utah?
Today, there is only one family living in Thistle: a young couple and their horse, living in a newly built home off U.S. 89. Phillip and Hillary Miller didn’t live in Thistle during the first mudslide, but Friday night’s flooding gave them a reminder of why they are the only people who now live in the deserted town.
What happened in Thistle Utah?
A giant landslide in April 1983 obliterated the tiny town of Thistle in Utah County. In 1983, the most costly landslide in US history swept down on the tiny town of Thistle, damming up the Spanish Fork River, and severing the rail line that connects Salt Lake City with Denver. By Sunday, Thistle’s fate was sealed.
What happened to the town of Thistle?
A giant landslide in April 1983 obliterated the tiny town of Thistle in Utah County. In 1983, the most costly landslide in US history swept down on the tiny town of Thistle, damming up the Spanish Fork River, and severing the rail line that connects Salt Lake City with Denver.
What year did Thistle Utah flood?
1983
A giant landslide in April 1983 obliterated the tiny town of Thistle in Utah County. In 1983, the most costly landslide in US history swept down on the tiny town of Thistle, damming up the Spanish Fork River, and severing the rail line that connects Salt Lake City with Denver.
How many people died from the Thistle landslide?
The landslide blocked the Spanish Fork River, which flooded the town of Thistle until it was underwater. The event caused 1 fatality and 2 injuries as well as damages topping $200 million.
Can you visit Thistle Utah?
Thistle is located on private property, and is best viewed from a distance. One can also view a couple of the submerged houses directly along the U.S. Route 6/89. Despite the fact that this entry has been marked as closed, the submerged houses are still there.
What county is Thistle Utah in?
Utah County
Thistle/Counties
When did the mudslide in Thistle Utah happen?
This is the slide that doomed Thistle in April of 1983. The dam that was fashioned out of dirt from the slide is to the left of the slide in the foreground. Tim Kelly This is the slide that doomed Thistle in April of 1983.
What was the name of the landslide in Utah?
The Thistle landslide and “Thistle Lake” severed railroad service between Denver and Salt Lake City, flooded two major highways (U.S. 6 and U.S. 89), devastated the town of Thistle, and resulted in Utah’s first Presidential disaster declaration.
What was the name of the slide in Utah in 1983?
This is the slide that doomed Thistle in April of 1983. The dam that was fashioned out of dirt from the slide is to the left of t This is the slide that doomed Thistle in April of 1983. The dam that was fashioned out of dirt from the slide is to the left of the slide in the foreground. Tim Kelly
How tall was Thistle Lake in Utah County?
GeoSights: Thistle Landslide Revisited, Utah County, Utah. The lower end of the slide formed a 220-foot-high dam where it abutted against a sandstone cliff at the base of Billies Mountain. Behind this dam, “Thistle Lake” reached a maximum depth of 160 feet before being drained by diversion culverts.