True story: A Western Slope fisherman comes to Denver to do a television interview discussing the upper Colorado River’s listing as the nation’s No. 6 “most endangered” in 2010, according to American Rivers.

During the discussion, the fisherman comments, “Denver and the rest of the Front Range just can’t keep taking more water out of the Colorado River drainage, or it’s going to collapse.”

The reporter pauses. “The Colorado River? I thought all of our water came from the mountains.”

Such is the blissful ignorance often associated with water, rivers and the things that make Colorado special. For the record, the Colorado River — like most rivers in Colorado — comes from mountain snowmelt. Denver’s water comes from pipes. Sure, there’s a decent amount flowing through the South Platte, maybe even Cherry Creek, but the reality remains that most Coloradans live on the east side of the Continental Divide and most of the water is on the west. And just like they don’t think twice when they flip the light switch on the wall, most never pause to consider the impact of water running through the faucet. It just comes out of the pipe.

Never mind that the network of pipes eventually grows to include tunnels with names like Harold D. Roberts, Gumlick, Vasquez and Moffat that stretch across the Divide to move acres of water out of the Blue, Williams Fork, Fraser and other mountain streams. Rather than joining the collective headwaters that unite to form fish and wildlife habitat in the Colorado River, that water winds up in sprinklers and car washes, beer bottles and bathroom spigots along the Front Range.

More of that water is targeted for removal as Colorado’s population continues to swell. Proposals on the table from Denver Water and Northern Water Conservancy District to divert additional water from the Fraser, Williams Fork, Blue and Upper Colorado rivers are designed to keep water supply ahead of demand in municipalities from Denver to Greeley.

Yet, even as the water entities lay out plans required to mitigate the impacts on fish and wildlife from their Moffat Collection System and Windy Gap Firming Project, it’s increasingly evident that these troubled waters can’t accommodate the demands already placed on them. Aquatic species ranging from green drake mayflies to mottled sculpin minnows already have disappeared, whatever the blame. The whole situation is a hot mess. We can’t manufacture water. And apparently we can’t manage it very well, either.

But Colorado is no longer the Old West. The days when water left in a river was considered wasted and rights to every last drop were divvied up like your late uncle’s in- heritance are behind us.

These days, we understand ecology. We know the worth of healthy ecosystems and can even calculate the economic value of the vibrant outdoors. And maybe better than anything else, we know how to screw it up good. It comes down to how much, or how little, we really care.

“There’s a legitimate argument to say it’s in the best interests of Denver to use as little water as possible, and to keep every drop we can in the river,” Gov. John Hickenlooper told board members of the Colorado River District at a meeting last week.

Colorado, he said, is what makes Denver special and unique. The value of the city is enhanced by the natural beauty of the entire state — including healthy Western Slope rivers. And even more than our lawns and golf courses, rivers need water.

To be honest, I’m not yet sure what to make of the proposals I heard from Denver Water and Northern at the Wildlife Commission workshop in Meeker on Thursday. Most of the water — more than 45,000 additional acre-feet per year — will eventually be removed whether the projects are approved or not, project managers say. With their approval, at least the river will receive the proposed mitigation and “enhancement.”

Until I learn a bit more, I don’t know if I believe that. But, given the value of all that’s at stake, my gut tells me to believe what’s on the table simply isn’t enough.

The proposed mitigation isn’t enough. The voluntary enhancement isn’t enough. The amount of water left to support existing wildlife isn’t enough. And the efforts of the community, of Coloradans who claim to treasure Colorado, aren’t nearly enough.

Our arid state deserves more. And less.

Scott Willoughby: 303-954-1993 or swilloughby@denverpost.com

Website for water

Information on Denver Water’s Moffat Collection System proposal and Northern’s Windy Gap Firming Project may be found at the Division of Wildlife website: wildlife.state.co.us.

The Colorado Wildlife Commission has dedicated its May 5 meeting in Salida to public comment on the proposals.