TROUBLED WATERS
Reflecting Pool has been plagued by problems for many years
The Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool in 1923
Crews clean up algae in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on June 17.
WASHINGTON LANDMARKS
The latest debate over one of the most photographed landmarks in Washing-ton, D.C., may reflect poorly on the nation, but it's just one more chapter in a long-running saga.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, completed in 1923, has long faced problems with leaks, drainage, truckloads of debris and even an outbreak of a parasite that killed 80 ducks.
Now, a modern controversy rages on as President Donald Trump posts daily updates on social media about the latest challenges at the iconic pool — from peeling paint to a stubborn green algae.
Trump pegged the pool as a problem earlier this year, and his administration planned a $16 million renovation in a rush to set a stage for the country's 250th birthday celebration.
But within days of the pool being refilled in early June, the water turned green and algaeclouded amid a heat wave that saw temperatures reach 100 degrees.
Pool professionals, water experts and federal websites report that warm water and sunlight are prone to create algae issues in ponds, pools and fountains.
In a social media post, Trump blamed vandals for the troubles.
"We've cleaned, renovated, and beautified over 45 Monuments and Memorials, 28 Statues and 22 Fountains in Washington, D.C. Things are looking really good in our Nation's Capital," the president's social media post stated. "However, we've had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial."
Here's a look at reports and events related to pool maintenance and construction over the past century:
1922: Lincoln Memorial is dedicated, according to a copy of the Lincoln Memorial History from the National Park Service.
1923: Reflecting Pool construction is completed.
1978: The pool is being cleaned twice annually, with 10 to 15 large truckloads of debris removed at each cleaning, the NPS reports.
1981: Full reconstruction is undertaken to address water leakage and drainage, with "self-sustaining" methods introduced to maintain the appearance.
1986: Engineering report concludes the pool's structural system is failing.
July 2008: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports: "The Reflecting Pool is stagnant and full of muck. The thick layer of algae on the pool and ponds is hard to miss, especially the smell."
December 2009: NPS issues 209-page report on the pool and considers reconstruction alternatives, including using "proprietary biological chemicals to abate algae growth," adding continuous water turnover to inhibit algae accumulation, or ozone filtration to inhibit algae growth.
November 2010: Construction begins on project to update the pool, prone to leaking, holding stagnant water and taking nearly 20 to 30 million gallons of city water a year to refill.
September 2012: Days after the $34 million restoration project is complete, the pool fills with algae, USA Today and the Washington Post report. At the time renovations were completed, a company involved with the project wrote that the newer, more sustainable pool could last another century with less maintenance required.
June 2017: The Reflecting Pool is drained to control a parasite outbreak that killed more than 80 ducks and ducklings, USA Today reports.
May 2019: NPS begins draining the pool to repair a broken water line, which compromised circulation and led to water quality issues, including algae growth and a green tint to the water.
April 3, 2026: The Department of Interior grants a no-bid $6.8 million contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings.
April 23: Trump unveils the project, saying a contractor is going to coat the pool in "American flag blue."
May 8: Trump's motorcade drives across the empty reflecting pool, the same day another $6.2 million is added to the original contract for supplemental work.
May 11: The Cultural Landscape Foundation sues the Trump administration over the planned color of the pool resurfacing.
June 4: Water begins flowing back into the pool.
June 14: Reports emerge that algae blooms turned the pool's water green again.
June 16: Federal contracting records show the cost of the renovation rose to $16 million, including $14.2 to Atlantic Industrial Coatings. A $1.7 million contract from the NPS is listed for Green Water Solutions, a company with ties to John Cafaro, a longtime Trump contributor who owns a home in Palm Beach, Florida, less than a mile from Mar-a-Lago, according to Florida public records.
June 19: Trump blames vandalism for the troubles with the Reflecting Pool renovation, announcing people are being arrested.
