It’s been about two weeks since President Donald Trump announced that work to beautify the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was done. But since then a saga of science, nature and accusations of vandalism has slowly unfolded in the nation’s capital.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the National Mall fixture has turned an algae green (this often happens after it is drained for maintenance). But paint has also been seen peeling off the bottom (that’s unusual).
Trump announced the project to transform the Reflecting Pool in April, saying it had been subject to complaints about leaks and lack of cleanliness. Algae at the pool has been a recurring issue for decades.
The huge project sparked controversy over the cost, and the choice to paint the bottom of the water feature “American Flag Blue.”
The president, who has also made plans to erect a “Triumphal Arch” near Arlington National Cemetery and demolished the White House’s East Wing to construct a huge ballroom, blamed vandalism for the current state of the Reflecting Pool, and pointed to the recent etching of “8647” on the National Mall lawn.
Meanwhile, a former Olympic canoeist, David Hearn, was arrested by U.S. Park Police on June 19 and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property, the Washington Post reported. Hearn told the outlet he reached into the Reflecting Pool and was able to “grab” an end of a “flapping piece,” but didn’t remove it. USA TODAY has reached out to Park Police.
Here’s what to know about the twists and turns in the Reflecting Pool repainting saga, from the beginning:
The Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial is one of several reflecting pools in the Washington, DC, area. It sits about 2,000 feet in length and 160 feet in width, with the Lincoln Memorial at one end and the World War II Memorial at the other. A reflection of the Washington Monument just beyond can be seen in the water’s surface.
The pool was built in the early 1920s. Since then, it has undergone different renovation projects and improvements. According to a report from the National Park Service, it received a reinforced concrete slab foundation in 1929; drainage trenches were installed along the elm walks next to the pool in the 1930s; a 1981 full renovation addressed water leakage and drainage, and self-sustaining methods to clean it were installed, but soon after, an engineering report revealed the structural system was failing.
As of 1978, the pool was being cleaned twice per year, with 10 to 15 “large truckloads” of debris cleaned out each time, according to the Park Service.
In 2010, a major project to update the pool began, lasting two years and costing $34 million. Algae was an instant problem again after that renovation.
Algae blooms have plagued “every pool reopening since 1922,” the Department of the Interior previously said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Algae blooms occur naturally, and warm water and sunlight can cause it to rapidly multiply. Washington, DC, saw several hot days, including in the 90s, as the latest algae bloom began to appear, while recent rainfall may also have contributed. Nutrients that feed blooms can be blown in or carried in via particles that run off paved surfaces when it rains, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Trump said he chose the color “American Flag Blue,” a deep navy, to repaint the Reflecting Pool. The project comes ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary celebration.
The color, according to the Park Service, would improve the reflectivity of the water feature.
The project to renovate the Reflecting Pool included draining, cleaning and refinishing. Trump previously said the plan was to sandblast, caulk and resurface the pool basin.
Previously, the Reflecting Pool’s basin was an achromatic and gray concrete, which the Park Service said collected algae and turned green. Before that, the agency said the bottom of the pool was black, and at times in its history water had been dyed to improve reflectivity.
The nonprofit Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a lawsuit on May 11 against the Department of the Interior over the renovation project, claiming that it violated federal law by not undergoing the proper review process to make changes to historic places.
Trump first announced the renovations on April 23, calling the pool’s condition “terrible.”
“In a couple of weeks, we’re going to have the most beautiful reflective pool between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial that you’ve ever seen,” Trump said.
It took more than a couple of weeks. The renovations continued through early June. Workers began refilling the Reflecting Pool about two weeks ago.
The cost of the project came in at about $16 million, despite Trump initially saying it should cost $1.5 million.
Two companies, Atlantic Industrial Coatings and Green Water Solutions, were given contracts for the work. Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded $14.2 million to give the pool its American Flag Blue tint, while $1.7 million was given to Green Water Solutions to improve the water quality.
Visitors to the Reflecting Pool since it was refilled with water have noted algae covering the bottom, giving it a green appearance.
The Department of the Interior said it had deployed technology to destroy the algae, claiming success in a statement on June 15. But the next day, USA TODAY confirmed the green color was still there, and workers were pouring hydrogen peroxide into the water.
Despite treatment with chemicals, green algae could persist amid hot, humid summer weather, Hans Paerl, Research Professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told USA TODAY on June 15.
Most recently, portions of the blue layer of the pool have been seen tearing away and floating in the pool. Photos published by Getty Images on June 18 show a tear in the sealant.
As of June 20, Getty and Reuters photos show bare patches where recently applied paint has peeled away. Algae and a green hue were also visible in the water as workers are seen wading in the water to remove algae.
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Michelle Del Rey and James Powel, USA TODAY
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