 Concerns about the Barrier's instability due to volcanic, tectonic, or heavy rainfall activity prompted the provincial government to declare the area immediately below it unsafe for human habitation in 1981.This led to the evacuation of the nearby village of Garibaldi, and the relocation of residents to new recreational subdivisions away from the hazard zone.Should the Barrier completely collapse, Garibaldi Lake would be entirely released and downstream damage in the Cheakamus and Squamish Rivers would be considerable, including major damage to the town of Squamish and possibly an impact wave on the waters of Howe Sound that would reach Vancouver Island.