KIOWA — After weeks of public pressure, an Elbert County water district seeking to expand its power statewide suddenly withdrew its request Wednesday, throwing a wrench into a controversial plan for a half-billion-dollar regional pipeline.

The district’s retreat, which its director calls temporary, was met with loud cheers and whistles from about 1,000 people — the county has a population of about 22,000 — who showed up at the county commission meeting expecting a vote. Instead, a statement of withdrawal from the attorney representing Elbert and Highway 86 Commercial Metro District was read into the record.

Residents, however, were not placated.

“This is a reprieve, but we need to figure out how this won’t happen again,” Elizabeth resident Bob Hall told the commission. “I don’t think this is the end of it.”

By acquiring a statewide reach, the district can form a water network serving developments throughout Colorado with the full legal protections of a government entity.

The district and a related private company, GP Water Group, have proposed a 150-mile pipeline from Lamar to Elbert County. Details of that plan include exporting water from Elbert County underground aquifers to other counties while they wait for water from the Arkansas River.

Karl Nyquist, head of GP Water and the district director, said the pipeline is not on hold but didn’t provide any details about how he would proceed without authority to operate across county lines.

“Our request to delay the vote on the district service plan amendment is simply to allow more time to educate the public and provide the facts about the project and its benefits,” he said in a news release. “The project will be moving forward in all respects despite this delay.”

The next time around, however, the district may face tougher challenges from county officials, who said they would make changes to the review process and who are facing intense public pressure.

“We appoint you,” said Jim Eller, who teaches at Metropolitan State College of Denver, to commissioners Del Schwab and Kurt Schlegel. “You disappoint us, we dis-appoint you.”

Commissioner John Shipper could not attend the meeting due to a medical issue.

For weeks, the public has questioned the speed with which the proposal was being considered and the secrecy surrounding it. Little, if anything, was posted on the county website. Some residents said the only information they could find was in newspaper reports.

The commission twice delayed voting on the matter, but refused to send the district proposal to the planning department or to an appointed water board for review. This month, Nyquist held two public meetings to answer questions.

But Elbert County, which does not have a renewable water source, relies on its aquifers, which are generally being depleted faster than they can be recharged. Many in the community fear that Nyquist will take too much water out or that his plan to store treated Arkansas River water in the aquifers will hurt their water quality.

Additional concerns were raised after Nyquist failed to rule out using water for the oil and gas companies, which use millions of gallons for exploration.

Despite winning the battle Wednesday, county residents were still angry at the commissioners.

“I am questioning all your motives,” said Lisa Zimmerman. “You’ve done a good job, with all due respect, to try and slide this in and get it passed before we knew what was going on.”

Nancy Delaney of Elizabeth spoke for many who found babysitters or went to work late to attend the meeting.

“We elected you all to . . . protect our rural way of life,” she said. “Don’t keep making us take off work to tell you what we want.”

Karen De Pew criticized the county for failing to adequately notify citizens about details of the district’s plan. She said she walked door to door for “five hours in the heat” Saturday to let people know about the meeting.

Behind De Pew, the majority of those in attendance held “Vote No” signs and “Recall Elbert County Commissioners” business-size cards that had a phone number and e-mail address to contact if the commission approved the plan.

Neither commissioner said very much. Schlegel said he wanted the debate on water issues to continue and that if county residents didn’t like their choices of elected officials, they didn’t “have to vote for that person” in the next election.

Schwab apologized for the lack of information on the website, but said the “board hasn’t hidden anything at all and there was no lack of transparency.”

“Lessons learned,” he said.

Karen Crummy: 303-954-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com