The Trump administration declared war on algae growing at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
But so far, the algae are winning.
Earlier this month, the administration unveiled a new “American Flag blue” surface on the pool following a $14.8 million renovation aimed at beautifying the landmark and addressing maintenance issues, including leaks and algae growth.
But within days, the pool was a bright chartreuse green — again.
The new blue-colored pool was revealed earlier this month
The resurfacing work was completed on June 3, and the pool refilling began on June 4.
Satellite photos taken in March, before the renovation began, showed a green pool due to widespread algae growth, while images taken on June 7, a day after the president said the project was complete, showed a darker color.
But a week later, algae was visible again. Photos taken on June 16 showed the pool had returned to its former green hue, which could be seen from the sky.
Why the pool keeps turning green
The broad, shallow pool has long been plagued by algal blooms, a problem exacerbated by summer heat and the Tidal Basin’s algae-prone water, the Associated Press reported.
Structural issues date back to the pool’s construction, as it was built on unstable mudflats that have caused cracks and leaks over the past century, per The New York Times.
The recent resurfacing didn’t address the underlying flaws with the pool’s construction, The New York Times reported. Instead, it coated the slabs of concrete between which water leaks with a blue-tinted sealant.
Interior communications director Kate Martin told CNN that Trump “fixed the Reflecting Pool for good,” unlike what she called “the failed and extremely costly attempt by Obama and Biden.”
“What you are seeing 1781725689 is residual algae from the supply lines,” Martin said on June 10, calling the new green hue part of the pool’s “normal startup process.”
Meanwhile, workers on the landmark continue fighting algae growth and have been seen skimming the water, vacuuming the pool floor, using ozone nanobubbles, and dumping hydrogen peroxide in an effort to restore it to its intended “American Flag Blue” color.
The makeover had attracted criticism
The renovation is just one of the many projects President Donald Trump has undertaken in efforts to change the capital’s image during his second term.
Ahead of the country’s 250th birthday, the administration took an expedited approach to the renovation, awarding no-bid contracts after arguing that a full procurement process would prevent the National Park Service from reopening the pool in time.
Initially, the administration said the renovation would cost $1.8 million, but federal records later revealed its contracts totaled $14.8 million.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for the preservation of historic landscapes, challenged the renovation in court, alleging that the administration altered the historic site without completing the required preservation reviews.
The project also faced aesthetic criticism, with nonprofit leaders saying the renovation undermined the landmark’s historical significance.
“It’s not supposed to look like you’re going to dive in and swim,” Judy Scott Feldman, the president of the National Mall Coalition, a nonprofit that helps protect the capital’s cultural legacy, told CNN. “It wasn’t intended as a place that looks jolly like your local golf course.”
The Interior Department said the blue surface would improve the pool’s reflection and “enhance the visitor experience.”
“It won’t leak, it will shine, and be the pride of Washington DC for decades to come,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
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