Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool leaks, algae return after Trump renovation

Algae spread across the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool within days of a multimillion-dollar renovation meant to restore one of Washington’s most visible memorial spaces. By Friday, the shallow basin had turned green again, with peeling paint, white blobs and a tear in the newly applied surface raising fresh questions about a project ordered by President Donald Trump to prepare the capital for the nation’s 250th birthday.

Trump had directed the renovation in April as part of a spring-cleaning push and said he personally chose the pool’s “American Flag Blue” color. Federal contracts for the work were valued at more than $14 million, and the administration said the pool was coated with an “industrial-grade” sealant. Instead, algae appeared almost immediately after water was pumped back in, first showing up last week and then spreading across the basin.

The National Park Service responded by using hydrogen peroxide and a swimming-pool-style vacuum to remove the growth. Interior Department officials said the algae was part of a normal startup process and blamed residual algae in supply lines that had sat dormant during construction. The department also said it was deploying an ozone nanobubbling system to keep the bloom from returning. Later, officials said the water was crystal clear and crews were vacuuming up dead algae.

The trouble did not stop there. A tear in the newly applied material was spotted Thursday, June 18, and by Friday, June 19, pieces of the pool’s new floor appeared to be peeling away. Some observers posting videos on X said the damage looked as if it had gone all the way down to the original surface. The worsening condition was especially stark because the pool had been filled only recently after the renovation was completed this month.

The Reflecting Pool has long had problems with leaks, algae and faulty plumbing, but the latest flare-up underscored how difficult it is to maintain a shallow body of water that runs roughly 1.5 to 2.5 feet deep. Brooks Barrett, a Smithsonian Institution marine plant specialist, said there was “no quick fix” for the algae bloom. Experts have said the pool’s warm, stagnant water makes it especially vulnerable to growth, and one visitor from outside Washington said it was “really green.”