DeBeque phacelia grows on soil that comes from only a single geologic formation and is typically found on steep hillsides in the mud cracks on the surface of this clay soil.
An Imperiled Desert Native
DeBeque phacelia habitat has been rapidly degraded by oil and gas drilling, off-road vehicle riding, and livestock trampling, and its risk of extinction has soared. Though its habitat is extremely rare and mostly found on Bureau of Land Management land, the BLM continues to allow oil and gas drilling in most places the DeBeque phacelia grows. In November of 2005, BLM leased South Shale Ridge and most of the last of the DeBeque phacelia habitat for oil and gas drilling.
Natural History
DeBeque phacelia, a tiny summer annual with white flowers and bright red stems, is found only in one area of western Colorado. It grows no farther than ten miles in any direction from the town of DeBeque, south of South Shale Ridge and southwest of the Roan Plateau. Because it is an annual species, it relies on a healthy bank of seeds in the top few centimeters of soil to survive from year to year. As more of its habitat is converted to gas well pads, access roads, and dirt bike routes, DeBeque phacelia seeds in the shallow soil are crushed or washed away.
Conservation Status
-Candidate Species, Endangered Species Act
-Forest Service Sensitive Species
Action Taken
When the BLM leased western Colorado’s South Shale Ridge for oil and gas leasing in 2005, Center for Native Ecosystems asked that parcels containing DeBeque phacelia be removed due to the real possibility that drilling in those areas would spell extinction for this rare species. Fortunately for the plant, a judge intervened and ordered the parcels removed. We continue to push for permanent protection for the phacelia, which has lingered on the Endangered Species Act candidate list for decades. We are hopeful that this species will soon be granted full protection under the Act, a first step on the road to recovery.
Read More
Petition to List DeBeque Phacelia as Endangered or Threatened
