Just days after a multimillion-dollar makeover intended to transform the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool into a deeper “American flag blue,” the iconic landmark is once again making headlines — this time because of algae, green water and reports that some of the new coating may already be coming loose.
The project was announced in April by President Donald Trump as part of a broader effort to beautify Washington, D.C., ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration in 2026.
Trump said the Reflecting Pool, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the country, appeared too dark and unattractive. He proposed repainting the bottom of the pool a brighter blue color similar to the blue found in the American flag.
At the time, Trump estimated the project would cost between $1.5 million and $2 million and said the improvements would last “50 to 100 years.”
Federal contracting records later showed the total cost grew to nearly $15 million.
The renovation included draining the two-acre pool, cleaning and resurfacing the bottom, applying a dark blue coating and refilling the pool with water drawn from the nearby Tidal Basin.
The project was completed earlier this month.
Within days, however, algae began spreading across the surface and floor of the pool, turning large sections of the water green instead of blue.
Visitors arriving at the National Mall expecting to see Trump’s vision of a bright blue reflecting pool instead found workers vacuuming algae from the bottom and deploying hydrogen peroxide treatments and ozone nanobubble technology in an effort to clear the water.
Photos from the scene showed patches of blue coating visible beneath broad stretches of green algae.
Experts say algae growth in the Reflecting Pool is nothing new. The pool has battled algae problems for decades because it uses untreated water from the Tidal Basin.
“What do you expect?” said Cochise Wanzer II, president of an Arlington, Virginia-based pool service company, in comments to the Associated Press. “You’re basically taking natural, untreated river water, pumping it in and expecting it to do something different from what it would do out in the open.”
Some experts have also suggested the darker blue surface may be contributing to warmer water temperatures, creating conditions that help algae grow more quickly.
Under ideal conditions, algae populations can double in a matter of hours or days, allowing visible blooms to develop within a week.
Adding to the controversy are reports from observers and photographs circulating online that appear to show sections of the new blue coating separating from the bottom surface in some areas. Federal officials have not publicly confirmed whether the coating is failing or whether the appearance is simply the result of algae buildup and cleaning operations.
National Park Service crews continue working to remove algae and maintain the pool’s appearance.
The debate has quickly shifted from whether the Reflecting Pool should have been painted blue to whether the nearly $15 million project will deliver the long-lasting results promised when it was announced.
