Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Algae Bloom

Coverage area of algae as a percentage of the pool surface, tracked since the initial $14M beautification project. Despite re-coating with “American flag blue,” the bloom has expanded steadily.

0%25%50%75%100%2026-042026-042026-052026-062026-06
Period: 2026-04-01 to 2026-06-20Last updated: 2026-06-20 14:32 UTCSource: industry analysts via NPR

Based on: Opinion: Algae doesn't care about our party lines — President Trump's beautification project of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has become plagued with a robust algae bloom, despite a $14 million investment and a coating of 'American flag blue'.