Workers are tackling a bright green algae bloom in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with hydrogen peroxide, a recurring issue that's surfaced despite a $14 million renovation by the Trump administration aimed at making it a vibrant "American flag blue."
The costly upgrade, completed just before its unveiling last week, was intended to have the pool looking sharp for the nation's 250th anniversary. However, algae began appearing less than a day later. An Interior Department spokesperson explained the bloom stemmed from "residual algae from the supply lines," which had been sitting dormant for eight weeks.
Factors contributing to the algae problem include the water source and rising temperatures. The pool typically draws from the Tidal Basin, which can be algae-ridden, sometimes switching to municipal water. High temperatures and stagnant water are creating an ideal environment for algae growth, a situation experts say is exacerbated by climate change, leading to expanding blooms globally.
Beyond the current hydrogen peroxide treatment, the Interior Department is also deploying "high-tech nanobubble ozone technology" to combat the algae. The Trump administration had previously touted the renovation, which included painting and leak repairs, with claims of faster and cheaper work compared to previous administrations.
This situation contrasts with a previous $34 million, two-year renovation by the Obama administration. The Trump administration, however, has inaccurately claimed that previous efforts cost "hundreds of millions of dollars," even using AI-generated images to blame Democrats for pool neglect. An Interior Department spokesperson also criticized the Obama-era renovations, stating they resulted in "massive algae clumps" shortly after completion.
With the anniversary celebrations just two weeks away, the effectiveness of these new treatments remains to be seen. Given the significant attention the pool received under Trump, further interventions are likely if the current methods don't resolve the greening issue.
