Taxpayers Spent Over $14 Million on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Algae, Peeling Paint, and Arrests Followed.

One of the most iconic landmarks in Washington, D.C. is drawing crowds this summer — but not for the reasons anyone intended. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, recently renovated at a cost of more than $14 million in public funds, is now filled with green algae, floating debris, and peeling paint, raising serious questions about how taxpayer money was spent and whether the project delivered what was promised.

When ABC News visited the site on the afternoon of June 19, 2025, the water was visibly clouded with green algae rather than the clear blue appearance the renovation was supposed to produce. Green patches spread along the sides of the pool and across its center. Unidentified white blobs were seen floating on the surface. National Park Service crews were actively working inside the pool, attempting to pump algae out through drainage systems.

The floor of the pool, painted in what was described as "American flag blue," was visibly peeling. Some visitors pulled out loose pieces of the coating and kept them as souvenirs of the troubled project. Onlookers stopped to photograph the scene, and a pair of protesters walked the pool's edge holding a sign that read "Team Algae." Online, the murky water sparked widespread commentary, with some users connecting the algae bloom to President Trump's longtime "drain the swamp" campaign phrase. One social media user wrote sarcastically, "You've renewed and invigorated the Swamp."

A Growing Price Tag for Taxpayers

The financial picture behind this project has shifted considerably since it began. In April, President Trump suggested the pool could be cleaned up in about a week for roughly $1 million. That figure did not hold. The repainting work alone ultimately cost more than $14.65 million in taxpayer money, and costs continued to climb as additional problems emerged.

Separately, the National Park Service paid $1.74 million in public funds to Green Water Solutions, an Ohio-based company, to install a "nanobubble" system specifically designed to prevent algae growth. That system was meant to address the exact kind of problem now visible in the pool.

The renovation was driven by President Trump as part of his "Make America Beautiful" initiative, timed to coincide with the country's upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations. Trump had expressed confidence in the results. "You're going to be very proud of it. It'll last for 50 to 100 years before you have to do anything, with very strong, powerful substance that we used," he said of the pool's lining earlier this month.

What Officials Are Saying vs. What Visitors Are Seeing

On Wednesday evening, the Department of the Interior posted a statement on X pushing back against criticism of the pool's condition. "The Reflecting Pool water is crystal clear, and our National Park Service team is now vacuuming up the dead algae resting on the bottom of some parts of the Reflecting pool," the department stated.

More than a day after that post, the water did not appear crystal clear to observers on the ground. The department has since acknowledged that algae blooms have affected every reopening of the Reflecting Pool, and that the vacuuming process would take a couple of days to complete. According to reporting from ABC News, the blooms first became noticeable late the previous week and intensified steadily, turning the blue pool water a murky green. ABC News noted it had reached out to both the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior for additional comment.

To combat the algae, the Interior Department has deployed hydrogen peroxide treatments alongside the nanobubble ozone technology — the same approach the Green Water Solutions system was contracted to provide.

Wildlife Concerns Emerge

Beyond the water quality issues, the renovation has raised concerns about the animals living in and around the pool. A widely shared image of a dead duckling found floating in the water over the weekend added to the scrutiny surrounding the project. Officials have not confirmed a cause of death.

Wildlife experts offered several possible explanations. Krysten Schuler, a wildlife disease ecologist with the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, pointed to naturally occurring toxins: "Botulism, another toxin produced by the bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, has been identified previously in ducks dying on the reflecting pool," Schuler said.

Some observers online speculated that hydrogen peroxide added to the pool to fight algae may have played a role in the duckling's death. A White House administration official disputed that claim, stating, "The peroxide levels in the Reflecting pool have been tested — they are safe and at the same level used in natural swimming pools."

Wildlife advocates also raised a separate structural concern about the pool itself. "One concern that has been documented at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is that ducklings may follow their parents into the water but have difficulty exiting because of the pool's steep sides," a DC Bird Alliance spokesperson said, adding that wildlife escape ramps "can reduce that risk."

Arrests Connected to the Peeling Lining

The deteriorating pool lining has also led to law enforcement action. An administration official said that as of Saturday night, five people had been arrested on vandalism charges related to the Reflecting Pool, with five additional individuals issued citations. The U.S. Park Police did not immediately respond to questions from ABC News regarding the arrests.

Among those arrested was David Hearn, identified as a three-time U.S. Olympian in canoe slalom. Hearn told ABC News that officers detained him on Friday after he touched a piece of the blue coating that was already partially detached from the pool floor. He denied wrongdoing. "I did not remove, I did not damage, I did not rip, tear, break, destroy or harm any part of the Reflecting Pool," Hearn said.

President Trump addressed the situation on Sunday, writing on Truth Social that repair work would start right away: "Work will begin immediately on fixing the seriously vandalized Reflecting Pool." He claimed to have personally inspected the site and suggested, without providing evidence, that the peeling lining had been intentionally sabotaged. Atlantic Industry Coatings, the company responsible for installing the lining, confirmed on Sunday that the pool would need to be drained for repairs and that the work would be covered under the project's existing warranty.

Crews are expected to continue working to clear the water as summer tourism increases in the lead-up to Fourth of July events and the America 250 anniversary celebrations.