Two weeks after President Donald Trump said work to restore Washington’s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was finished, visitors have reported a green algae bloom and paint peeling from the basin. The episode has collided with a long-running algae problem, a h
Two weeks after President Donald Trump said the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was restored, the water is still green—and blue paint is peeling from the basin.
What should have been a clean finish for a landmark stretch on the National Mall has instead turned into a fast-moving dispute over science. workmanship. and blame. The saga has unfolded in the heart of Washington. where the Reflecting Pool sits about 2. 000 feet long and 160 feet wide. with the Lincoln Memorial on one end and the World War II Memorial on the other.
Trump announced the repainting effort in April, describing it as a fix for leaks and cleanliness complaints and choosing a deep navy color he said would be “American Flag Blue.” Since then, algae has returned in visible ways—and so has controversy.
Trump said vandalism caused the current state of the Reflecting Pool, pointing to recent etching of “8647” on the National Mall lawn. He also blamed vandalism after the pool’s condition deteriorated following the renovation work.
The claim landed as a separate criminal case emerged. On June 19, former Olympic canoeist David Hearn was arrested by U.S. Park Police and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property. according to a report that said Hearn told the outlet he reached into the Reflecting Pool and was able to “grab” an end of a “flapping piece. ” but didn’t remove it. Park Police have not been publicly summarized here beyond the charge.
The contradiction—algae blooming as a recurring natural issue versus allegations that something more deliberate is at play—is now playing out in full view of visitors watching the basin and its newly applied coatings.
The Reflecting Pool is not a newcomer to algae problems. Built in the early 1920s. it has undergone multiple renovation projects and improvements. including a reinforced concrete slab foundation in 1929 and drainage trenches along elm walks installed in the 1930s. A 1981 full renovation addressed water leakage and drainage. with self-sustaining methods to clean it later added. though an engineering report later found the structural system was failing.
By 1978. the Park Service said the pool was being cleaned twice per year. with 10 to 15 “large truckloads” of debris removed each time. In the years since, algae has continued to show up as soon as the pool reopens. A Department of the Interior statement provided previously said algae blooms have plagued “every pool reopening since 1922.”.
Algae blooms can grow rapidly. particularly when warm water and sunlight are present. and when nutrients that feed blooms are blown in or carried in from particles that run off paved surfaces after rain. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Washington. DC saw several hot days. including temperatures in the 90s. as the latest algae bloom began to appear. and recent rainfall may have contributed.
Despite the long history, the April decision to repaint the basin added fresh stakes. The project, aimed ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary celebration, included draining, cleaning, and refinishing. Trump had said the plan was to sandblast, caulk, and resurface the pool basin.
The Park Service said the chosen color would improve reflectivity. The basin previously was described as an achromatic and gray concrete that collected algae and turned green. Earlier in its history. the agency said the bottom of the pool had been black. and at times the water had been dyed to improve reflectivity.
Controversy flared immediately over the cost. Trump initially suggested the repainting should cost $1.5 million, then later said the renovations were finished as the project moved faster than “more than a couple of weeks” described at the announcement.
Construction in Washington continued through early June. Workers began refilling the Reflecting Pool about two weeks ago, and since the refilling visitors have reported algae covering the bottom, giving the water a green appearance.
By the time the questions arrived, the budget had already shifted. The total bill for the renovation came in at about $16 million. Two companies received contracts: Atlantic Industrial Coatings and Green Water Solutions. Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded $14.2 million for the “American Flag Blue” tint. while $1.7 million was allocated to Green Water Solutions to improve water quality.
Officials said they had deployed technology to destroy algae, according to a statement on June 15. But the next day, confirmation of the persistent green color came alongside reports that workers were pouring hydrogen peroxide into the water.
Even with chemical treatment, green algae can persist during hot, humid summer weather, Hans Paerl, a Research Professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said on June 15.
Still, the problem has not only been the water’s hue. After the chemicals and cleanup efforts, the newly painted surface itself has come under scrutiny. Portions of the blue layer have been seen tearing away and floating in the pool. Photos published by Getty Images on June 18 showed a tear in the sealant.
As of June 20, photos from Getty and Reuters showed bare patches where recently applied paint has peeled away. Algae and a green hue were also visible in the water as workers were seen wading in it to remove algae.
At the same time, a legal challenge to the project has been part of the background. The nonprofit Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a lawsuit on May 11 against the Department of the Interior over the renovation project. The filing claimed the effort violated federal law by not undergoing the proper review process to make changes to historic places.
Put together, the timeline shows how a familiar biological problem and a newly layered coating system collided in a tightly scheduled, high-visibility project.
When Trump first announced the renovations on April 23. calling the pool’s condition “terrible. ” he promised. “In a couple of weeks. we’re going to have the most beautiful reflective pool between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial that you’ve ever seen.” The subsequent weeks did not deliver that image—at least not yet.
The Reflecting Pool remains green. And with paint peeling off the bottom described as unusual. visitors now face a question that goes beyond looks: whether this is a predictable algae rebound after drainage and treatment—or something that points to how the new coating is bonding to the basin under real summer conditions.
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool algae American Flag Blue Trump Department of the Interior U.S. Park Police David Hearn hydrogen peroxide Atlantic Industrial Coatings Green Water Solutions National Mall Cultural Landscape Foundation lawsuit