Trump’s ‘American Flag Blue’ Reflecting Pool Faces Algal Blooms

President Trump aimed to give the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial a pristine look, but recent algal blooms have presented challenges. After the Trump administration spent $14.2 million on a repair project to coat the pool’s concrete floor with dark blue waterproofing material, algae appeared on its surface.

This initiative sought to resolve issues with leaks and algae ahead of the country’s 250th birthday next month. Despite the pool’s gleaming appearance when refilled, several hot and humid days led to algae reemerging.

The Interior Department oversees the site, but representatives did not immediately comment on the situation. Katie Martin from the department explained that workers had been addressing residual algae from supply lines, which had been unused during construction. She assured that the algae would soon be cleared, adding that President Trump considered the pool permanently fixed.

President Trump described the previous state of the pool as ‘filthy’ and ‘dirty,’ claiming that his changes and the ‘American flag blue’ color would enhance its beauty.

To conduct the repairs, Trump’s administration granted no-bid contracts to selected vendors, bypassing the competitive bidding process due to an urgent timeline linked to the nation’s milestone celebration.

• Atlantic Industrial Coatings of Virginia handled sealing leaky joints and applying the blue waterproofing material.
• Greenwater Services of Ohio worked on upgrading the water-purification system.

Atlantic Industrial Coatings completed its portion on June 4, and the pool was filled soon after. The status of the purification system installation remains uncertain.

On Sunday, National Park Service workers skimmed algae from the surface, accompanied by staff from Pearl Purity Water Solutions, a Maryland-based contractor treating the pool’s water since 2021.

As Park Service efforts continued on Monday, crowds of tourists visited the site under the summer sun. Opinions varied among visitors.

Bonnie Garvin, a teacher from Monticello, Ga., expressed indifference to the green color, noting, ‘We’re not swimming in it, so it’s not really an issue.’

In contrast, Jessica Lea, a therapist from Portland, Ore., found the landmark’s condition disappointing during her first visit, commenting, ‘It’s pretty swampy. It could be cleaner. And I can’t see any reflecting.’

Maxine Joselow reports on climate change and environmental issues for The Times from Washington.