Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool turns green after surface painted

[riversedge]

Source: USA today


June 14, 2026, 7:46 p.m. ET



Algae is pictured in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool following the completion of recent renovations on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. The reflecting pool construction project started in April and work was completed last week as part of President Donald TrumpÕs plan ahead of the nationÕs 250th anniversary.
Tasos Katopodis, Getty Images


https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/nation/2026/06/14/lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-green-photos/90552113007/
National Park Service workers push algae towards an aeration area in the center of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool following the completion of recent renovations in Washington, DC, on June 14, 2026. The reflecting pool project, undertaken as part of President Donald Trump's preparations for the nation's 250th anniversary, began in April and was completed last week.
KEN CEDENO, AFP Via Getty Images




Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/nation/2026/06/14/lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-green-photos/90552113007/

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Also see DU from yesterday:




.............
Katie Martin, a spokeswoman for the Interior Department, said in a statement, “What you are seeing is residual algae from the supply lines which have been sitting dormant for eight weeks while construction has been taking place. It’s part of the normal startup process. “We are removing the algae, and the nanobubblers will maintain the pool and keep it algae free. President Donald J. Trump is an expert builder who has fixed the Reflecting Pool for good unlike the failed and extremely costly attempt by Obama and Biden.”

Whether the pool remains algae-free remains to be seen, however...............

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trumps-14m-reflecting-pool-project-couldnt-stop-algae-from-blooming-in-the-dc-heat/
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143678867

[raccoon]

1. Everything he touches....

[bobalew]

2. The original quote for that job was good for what was done....

the extra upcharge of 10+ million dollars is for what he shook us down & stole from us.. Typical Trump grift machine sticky fingers Donald...

[Goonch]

3. ;-{) BLOOM

[Cheezoholic]

4. In the pipes? I'm no expert but I thought algae needed light to stay alive. Just askin' ;) n/t

[FakeNoose]

5. Of course it did, and this was entirely predicted to happen

Painting the bottom of the pool does nothing to prevent the growth of algae. If anything, the algae grows faster because the sunlight is reflected off the lighter color on the floor of the pool.

But the algae is there in the water - and it keeps growing - no matter what color is painted on the pool bottom.

How much MORE time and money will be wasted on this non-problem?

[FailureToCommunicate]

6. Just more bread and circus. What about the Epstein Files!!

[orangecrush]

7. ETTD

[twodogsbarking]

8. Science is wonderful.

[Blues Heron]

9. Painting it a dark color turns it into a giant solar collector storage sytem that will make algae grow faster

due to the warmer water