Cleansing up the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has been certainly one of President Donald Trump’s pet tasks. In April, he mentioned he would clear up the large pool inside every week and for about $1 million.
About three months — and more than $15 million later — the mission appears to be like to be in hassle.
Simply Wednesday evening, Trump’s Division of Inside declared in a social media assertion that “superior nanobubbler know-how” had “very successfully killed the algae” that has plagued the Reflecting Pool for years. “The Reflecting Pool water is crystal clear,” the assertion declared, however then continued, “our Nationwide Park Service group is now vacuuming up the lifeless algae resting on the underside of some components of the Reflecting Pool — similar to the destroyed Iranian Navy resting on the underside of the Persian Gulf.”
A bit of what seems to be the American Flag Blue liner lately put in on the backside of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is seen above the floor of the water on June 18, 2026.
Elise Spenner/ABC Information
When ABC News visited the Reflecting Pool Thursday afternoon, we discovered it crammed with gunk and inexperienced algae-infused water. And a brand new downside has emerged; the “American flag blue” paint job seems to be falling aside — a few of it peeling away from the underside of the pool.
ABC Information has requested the Inside Division for remark in regards to the peeling paint and reached out to the contractor that did the work, however they didn’t instantly remark.
Members of the Nationwide Park Service clear algae from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, June 18, 2026.
Rahmat Gul/AP Photograph
Algae bloomed late final week simply days after the completion of the renovation, turning the pool from deep blue to inexperienced and murky. A DOI spokesperson informed CNN in a press release that the algae was “residual” and got here from reactivated provide strains.
DOI deployed each a hydrogen peroxide remedy and the nanobubble ozone know-how, a spokesperson mentioned, to rid the pool of algae blooms which have discolored the landmark and marred the rollout of the renovation mission.
The nanobubble course of releases tiny gasoline bubbles crammed with ozone into the water, which helps to remove algae blooms.
The DOI spokesperson wrote that the hydrogen peroxide would have “no dangerous unwanted effects to marine life or to the setting.”
Nationwide Park Service workers and contractors use vacuums to take away inexperienced algae from the underside of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, June 18, 2026 in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures
Contracts to resurface the reflecting pool and change its filtration system have been awarded with out going by a aggressive bidding course of, arguing the nation’s impending 250th anniversary celebrations created an “uncommon and compelling urgency.”
“[D]elaying the award lengthy sufficient to conduct a aggressive procurement would forestall the Nationwide Park Service from finishing the work in time to reopen the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool for the Nation’s 250th anniversary occasion collection,” the Division of the Inside mentioned in contracting paperwork. “This delay would end in severe harm to the Authorities, together with failure to satisfy statutory visitor-safety tasks and operational commitments for the 250th.”
ABC Information’ Elise Spenner, Katherine Faulders and Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.
