The Spanish Fork area of Utah Valley has been intensively farmed since Mormons first settled the region in the 1860s.

Still, as the amount of agricultural land grew, the river was no longer able to provide sufficient water except in years of heavy runoff.

[4] A 7-mile (11 km), asphalt-paved parkway trail, for pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles, has been completed along the Spanish Fork.

In mid April 1983, the river was catastrophically dammed by a landslide to a height of 220 feet (67 m), just below its source in Thistle.

Since the original watercourse is irrecoverable, the Spanish Fork still flows through the (lower, main) bypass tunnel.