Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) celebrated the completion of the Meyergrove Detention Basin, January 31, with a ribbon cutting and walk through of the basin with Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin, and Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Dr. Tina Peterson.  

Fletcher said that you only really need one word to know why this project is important: “Harvey.” 

“But you can add Tax Day, and you can add Memorial Day, and you really don’t need to say more than that.”  

Completed in December 2024, the Meyergrove Detention Basin is a 7.5-acre stormwater detention basin that will support water overflow for more than 27 million gallons of stormwater during heavy rain events to prevent flooding of nearby residences, commercial buildings, and roadways. The project is a result of a partnership between the City of Houston, Harris County Flood Control District, and Congresswoman Fletcher.  

The 24.31 square miles of flood reduction will benefit areas that have experienced repeated flooding events and severe damage, including from the Tax Day and Memorial Day Floods, and from Hurricane Harvey. The basin is part of a 2018 Bond Project to reduce flooding in the area and will be located between Brays Bayou and North Braeswood Boulevard adjacent to Interstate 610. 

Fletcher said the city of Houston was integral to acquiring the property for the project. “What we see today... is the result of collaboration between everybody standing here... Protecting our community from flooding is a collaborative effort,” said Fletcher. “The Meyergrove Detention Basin reminds us why infrastructure investments are so important, what they can do, and why having government that works efficiently, effectively, and collaboratively is what we need, deserve, and can have.” 

In 2021, Congresswoman Fletcher requested and secured nearly $10 million in federal funding to design and construct the Meyergrove Stormwater Detention Basin through the Community Funded Projects process in Congress. The funding was included in the Funding for the People Act, a bipartisan government funding bill that funds essential programs and projects. President Biden signed the bill into law on March 15, 2022. 

Houston Council Member Abbie Kamin said she was grateful for Fletcher’s “bold leadership and her commitment to protecting our neighborhoods.” 

Added Kamin, “As we continue to push for progress, this project serves as an example of what is possible when we all work together to protect residents from extreme weather and flooding.”