Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) highlighted $959,752 in congressional funding to make drainage improvements to the Keegans Bayou Watershed with Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones (Precinct 4) and Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen. The funding will be used to construct a stormwater detention basin to allow for capacity for a 100-year rainfall event, protecting nearby residences and buildings in Harris County and Fort Bend County, including Huntington Village and Townewest, as well as communities along the Brays Bayou watershed.  The announcement comes as Houston continues to recover from Hurricane Beryl, underscoring the need for additional infrastructure.

“Over the last decade, Houstonians have faced major storm events time and again, from the 2015 Memorial Day Flood, the 2016 Tax Day Flood, and Hurricane Harvey to Hurricane Beryl, from which we are still recovering.  Each of these events has been different but all underscore the need to continue to improve and augment our flood mitigation infrastructure,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “Updates to the Keegans Bayou Watershed are much-needed improvements in Texas’ Seventh Congressional District that will have a real impact on the people of this community.  I was glad to join Commissioner Briones and Dr. Petersen to highlight the funding I requested and secured in Congress and the work these funds will enable.  Protecting our community from flooding is a collaborative effort, and I thank our community leaders for their continued and meaningful partnership and leadership.”

“By delivering progress on projects like the Keegans Bayou Watershed initiative, we are delivering improved protection from flood risks,” said Commissioner Lesley Briones.  “I’m thankful to Congresswoman Fletcher and Dr. Petersen for their leadership, partnership, and commitment to improving flood resilience in Precinct 4 and all of Harris County. Together, we must continue taking decisive action to mitigate the risk of future floods, and to create safer, stronger communities."

“The Flood Control District has collaborated with partners at every level to deliver flood risk reduction projects across Harris County," said Dr. Tina Petersen, Executive Director of the Harris County Flood Control District. "The Community Directed Funding secured for the Keegans Bayou project is a critical step in making this effort a reality."

The basin will include green stormwater infrastructure features such as trees and grass that are native to the area and are designed to filter pollutants entering the basin, promoting cleaner air in surrounding neighborhoods.  During Hurricane Beryl, the high-water mark at Keegans Bayou was almost equivalent to the high-water mark at that location during Hurricane Harvey.  The construction of this basin will reduce the risk of flooding in future events.  The project is currently in the engineering phase and construction is expected to start in early 2026.

Last year, through the Community Funding Project process in Congress, Congresswoman Fletcher requested funding to construct this stormwater detention basin in the Keegans Bayou Watershed.  The process allows members of Congress to request funding for specific projects in their districts.  She secured the funding this spring through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, H.Res. 1102, a bipartisan government funding bill that funds essential programs and projects—including these drainage improvements to the Keegans Bayou Watershed—for Fiscal Year 2024.