In 1983, downtown Salt Lake turned into a river. With Utah’s deep snowpack, could flooding be next?
Memorial Day weekend in 1983 saw high temperatures after a snowy winter, resulting in snowmelt cascading down Salt Lake City.
After temperatures suddenly rose runoff flooded the city, prompting citizens to transform State Street into a canal by which the waters could safely travel.
People kayaked down the flooded streets with a few pulling out their fishing rods to try their luck. Homes were damaged and backyards were washed out, but Salt Lake City managed to avoid a wide-scale catastrophe thanks to quick action from residents.
Damage across the state also occurred, with widespread flooding and mudslides in Davis County and a mudslide wiping out U.S. 6 in Spanish Fork Canyon.
Scroll down to see photos from Salt Lake Tribune photographers on the days State Street became State Street River.
(The Salt Lake Tribune) Thousands of volunteers aid in the sandbagging of State Street from North Temple to 500 South to divert City Creek.
(The Salt Lake Tribune) Dave Cracroft and sons Jonathon and Justin walk up State Street to aid other volunteers during flooding in 1983.
(The Salt Lake Tribune) Volunteer workers pass sandbags in an effort to control flooding in City Creek Canyon during the flood of 1983 in Salt Lake.
(The Salt Lake Tribune) State Street at night during massive flooding in late May 1983.
(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) State Street stacked with sandbags during the late May flooding of 1983.
(The Salt Lake Tribune) Volunteer workers clear muddy water from the basement of this residence in Bountiful.
(The Salt Lake Tribune) Porter Lane in Centerville is sprayed by a car during flooding in late May 1983.
(The Salt Lake Tribune) Saltair Resort after flooding in late May 1983.
(Lynn R. Johnson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Spanish Fork Canyon in Utah County on April 15, 1983. Massive mudslides near Thistle wiped out U.S. 6 and rail lines.
(The Salt Lake Tribune) Floodwaters in Bountiful streets during flooding in late May 1983
(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Children play in a front yard along North Temple which was sandbagged in late May 1983 during massive flooding.
(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) An unidentified Salt Lake businessman caught this rainbow trout with his hands in the temporary State Street "river" at about 100 South in late May 1983.
(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Unidentified women try fishing in temporary river along 400 South just off State Street in downtown Salt Lake City in late May 1983.
(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Restaurant on State Street engages in a bit of flood humor during the 1983 flood.
(The Salt Lake Tribune) Viewing sandbag dikes along State Street during flooding in late May 1983.
(The Salt Lake Tribune) East High School student Michael C. Giddings navigates the upper headwaters of State Street during flooding in 1983.
(The Salt Lake Tribune) Footbridges were hastily constructed to get pedestrians from one side of State Street to the other during June 1983 flooding.
(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Cleaning up State Street the day after the street was drained after flood of 1983.
(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Heavy equipment and workers start to dismantle gravel and sandbag dikes along the "State Street canal" in early June 1983. New pavement was laid shortly after.
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