Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool damaged in $16 million renovation

A liner along the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was cut with a sharp knife or razor this month, damaging a $16 million rehabilitation project. The National Park Service reported the June 9 incident to U.S. Park Police, and about 70 fence post tops were thrown into the pool.

In a court filing late Wednesday in a lawsuit brought by a nonprofit seeking to halt the Trump administration’s work on the project, Frank Lands, the National Park Service deputy director of operations, said the cut damaged caulk over the foam sealant and delaminating surface material. The filing did not say whether the damage was suspected vandalism or identify anyone involved.

Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed unidentified vandals for the problems at the site, including peeling paint and a 350-foot gash. Trump said six people had been arrested, but he did not provide details. The administration is pressing to finish the work before July Fourth and before the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations.

An earlier National Park Service environmental assessment said differential soil settlement had compromised the pool’s structural system and caused pervasive water leakage. The assessment also said the pool used potable municipal water and had no circulation or filtration system.

The pool was not completed in time for the Lincoln Memorial’s dedication in 1922. The rehabilitation was originally planned under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and was to add permanent walkways, accessible pedestrian paths, and improvements to water quality and sustainability.