$16 Million Makeover Fails: Lincoln Memorial Pool Turns Green Again

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC, was designed to create a calm, reflective line between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Today, the water itself has become the main attraction. A $16 million renovation by the Trump administration aimed to turn the pool "American flag blue" before America's 250th anniversary. Instead, weeks after the project ended, the pool is green again—covered in algae. Business Insider visited the pool on June 19. What they found was an active worksite, not a serene landmark. National Park Service workers stood in the shallow water, using hoses and vacuum systems to clean the floor. Some sections looked new. Others remained covered in murky green patches. The blue coating itself was already cracking and peeling. Large chips of the liner floated in the water. The renovation was meant to solve a long-standing algae problem. But the structural issues date back to the pool's construction on unstable mudflats. Concrete slabs have cracked and leaked for decades. The blue sealant covered the cracks but did not fix them, according to The New York Times. The Interior Department says the algae is residual and part of a "normal startup process." It has deployed hydrogen peroxide and nanobubble ozone technology to fight the growth. Visitors came just to see the water. One dad posed with his daughter for a photo—giving a big thumbs down. A man from Michigan took water home, calling it part of a collection of "bad things the government has tried to hide from us." The scene has drawn police and National Guard members. Some protesters marched with a "Team Algae" sign, chanting "Grow, algae, grow." Cleanup efforts have also sparked concern. The Washington Post reported that DC environmental officials plan to investigate the disposal of algae-filled water into nearby drains. Meanwhile, workers face long days. One National Park Service employee said repairs will run 16 hours a day, with two shifts, until July 4. When a visitor asked how fast the algae grows back, a worker resting from vacuuming replied: "Seconds."