Thistle was almost completely destroyed.
Most wooden buildings were carried away in the floodwaters.
The state installed a temporary pumping station to prevent the lake from overflowing the dam; patrol boats skimmed up the floating remains of the town to prevent the debris from blocking the pumps.
Most remains were either naturally deposited or placed on the eastern shore of the lake.

By autumn, the tunnels to restore the flow of the river and drain the lake were operational.
Shortly after, debates between former residents, neighboring residents, and government agencies began on what to do with the dam created by the landslide; some wanted to make the lake permanent.
 The state engineer commissioned a study to determine if the landslide dam could be used to retain water; it recommended building a new dam upstream from the landslide, rather than attempting engineering work on the landslide dam.

In the years following, the former residents of Thistle filed various lawsuits to recover their losses.
In one, they claimed that their property was taken to rebuild the road and railroad without just compensation.
Another lawsuit claimed negligence on the part of the D&RGW.
The residents argued that the railroad's maintenance workers knew the ground was unstable; however, they only repaired the track.
The residents contended the slide could have been prevented by using a water drainage system to relieve pressure at the head of the unstable area.
They further contended that such a system could have been put in place had the railroad thoroughly investigated the problem upon first noticing it.
The engineering firm employed by the Rio Grande said that their studies indicated the crown of the landslide was about 300 feet (90 m) above the level of the tracks, and that the Rio Grande did not know the true size of the unstable area until the slide was in motion.
A jury absolved the D&RGW of responsibility.
The plaintiffs appealed the decision, and a second trial in 1993 resulted in a $1.1 million award for the landowners (equivalent to $2 million in 2020).
The D&RGW filed suit against the Utah Railway over sharing the costs from the landslide.
The Utah Railway had an ownership interest in the line, based on a track-sharing agreement.
Thistle was almost completely destroyed. Most wooden buildings were carried away in the floodwaters. The state installed a temporary pumping station to prevent the lake from overflowing the dam; patrol boats skimmed up the floating remains of the town to prevent the debris from blocking the pumps. Most remains were either naturally deposited or placed on the eastern shore of the lake.
By autumn, the tunnels to restore the flow of the river and drain the lake were operational. Shortly after, debates between former residents, neighboring residents, and government agencies began on what to do with the dam created by the landslide; some wanted to make the lake permanent.  The state engineer commissioned a study to determine if the landslide dam could be used to retain water; it recommended building a new dam upstream from the landslide, rather than attempting engineering work on the landslide dam.
In the years following, the former residents of Thistle filed various lawsuits to recover their losses. In one, they claimed that their property was taken to rebuild the road and railroad without just compensation. Another lawsuit claimed negligence on the part of the D&RGW. The residents argued that the railroad's maintenance workers knew the ground was unstable; however, they only repaired the track. The residents contended the slide could have been prevented by using a water drainage system to relieve pressure at the head of the unstable area. They further contended that such a system could have been put in place had the railroad thoroughly investigated the problem upon first noticing it. The engineering firm employed by the Rio Grande said that their studies indicated the crown of the landslide was about 300 feet (90 m) above the level of the tracks, and that the Rio Grande did not know the true size of the unstable area until the slide was in motion. A jury absolved the D&RGW of responsibility. The plaintiffs appealed the decision, and a second trial in 1993 resulted in a $1.1 million award for the landowners (equivalent to $2 million in 2020). The D&RGW filed suit against the Utah Railway over sharing the costs from the landslide. The Utah Railway had an ownership interest in the line, based on a track-sharing agreement.
Thistle, Utah