Algae resurfaces in reflecting pool after multimillion-dollar fixes [View all]
The newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool seems unable to escape an old scourge: algae blooming in the shallow water.
Thin layers of algae floated on the World War II Memorial side of the pool Friday morning, even after workers were seen cleaning out algae from the bottom of the pool Wednesday.
The reflecting pool construction project started in April and work was completed last week as part of President Donald Trump’s sprawling plan to spruce up the capital ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The president has characterized the century-old pool as “filthy” and “dirty,” claiming that the pool would look “far more beautiful, more beautiful than it did in 1922” upon renovation.
An Interior Department spokesperson said that the current algae is “residual” from supply lines that sat dormant for eight weeks during construction. The residue is part of the normal startup process, the spokesperson said.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/12/algae-resurfaces-in-reflecting-pool-multi-million-dollar-renovation-00960609
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