Trump’s $14 Million Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Renovation Sparks Algae Bloom

In early June 2026 the Interior Department completed a $14 million refurbishment of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, painting the basin “American Flag Blue,” sealing seams, and installing an ozone-nanobubbler system. Within a day of refilling, the water turned green as algae proliferated.

CBC News

Algae blooms have plagued the pool since its 1922 opening; a 2012 Obama-era $34 million renovation also saw algae return within weeks, highlighting persistent water-quality challenges.

CNN

Atlantic Industrial Coatings received a no-bid $14.2 million painting contract; Greenwater Services got about $1.7 million for the nanobubbler system. The pool holds roughly 6.5 million gallons across more than 300,000 sq ft.

Columbus Dispatch

April 2026: work began. June 3: project declared complete. June 4: pool refilled. June 5–7: algae visible. June 15–16: crews applied hydrogen peroxide and intensified vacuuming. June 17 onward: nanobubbler system runs while testing continues.

CNN

The Interior Department said the algae are “residual” material from dormant supply lines and that the nanobubbler technology “has successfully destroyed the algae bloom.” Hydrogen peroxide was described as a mild treatment with no harmful environmental side effects. Communications director Kate Martin called the cleanup part of the normal startup process.

CNN

Conservation groups and residents questioned the $14 million price and no-bid awards. Aaron Weiss of the Center for Western Priorities called the spending “a shame” and urged park entrance fees be used for broader maintenance. The National Parks Conservation Association warned the darker paint could raise water temperature, worsening algae. Senator Richard Blumenthal cited “troubling patterns of waste, fraud, and abuse” in a letter to the NPS.

The Hill

Public records list three total costs—$14.2 million, $14.7 million, $14.8 million—and a $460,000 line item without explanation. Officials cite dormant algae, but tests show high phosphate levels, suggesting nutrient-driven growth. No independent study has verified the nanobubbler’s long-term efficacy.

CNN

• “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—just like the destroyed Iranian Navy resting on the bottom of the Persian Gulf,” — Interior Department

The Hill

• “It’s a shame. This is money that came from our park entrance fees and should be going to urgent park maintenance needs around the country,” — Aaron Weiss, Center for Western Priorities

The Hill

• “Now, due to deploying the advanced nanobubbler technology, the algae is dead and being vacuumed up as we speak.” — Department of the Interior spokesperson

The Independent

• “We would expect June to have more algae naturally than February, March or April because there is more light availability and higher temperatures,” — Alana Menendez, University of Virginia

Daily Beast

The Interior Department will keep the nanobubbler system operating through the summer, monitor phosphate levels, and consider additional treatment if algae persist. The pool’s appearance will be a focal point of the nation’s 250th-anniversary events in July 2026.

CNN