Less than two weeks after President Donald Trump announced the completion of a major renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, peeling material and a large algae bloom have raised questions about the $14.7 million project.
Visitors to the National Mall this week observed a blue flap of material partially detached from the bottom of the reflecting pool, floating toward the surface. It remains unclear whether the material is paint, sealant, or another coating used during the renovation.
The U.S. Department of the Interior did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Questions About Coating Failure
The reflecting pool was drained, refinished, painted a darker blue color, and refilled as part of a renovation ordered by Trump.
Eddie Wood, owner of Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the Virginia company hired to complete the work, said photos and videos alone were not enough to determine what had come loose.
“There’s several things that we’ve got to address when we come back for maintenance, and anything like that will be addressed, if it’s a problem,” Wood said, CNN reported.
Tim Auerhahn, chairman of the Aquatic Council, said coating failures can occur for several reasons, including surface preparation issues, environmental conditions, contamination, or adhesion problems.
“If the coating is losing adhesion in multiple locations, that could indicate a more significant concern,” Auerhahn said, per CNN.
Freelance photographer Andrew Layden posted a video on social media, captured with a waterproof camera, that reportedly shows sections of the pool’s bottom where the coating has peeled away.
Went back to the reflecting pool with a waterproof camera. Here’s what it looks like underwater where a section has peeled up and was removed. pic.twitter.com/jWS9LtGGZE
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) June 19, 2026
Algae Returns Despite Renovation
The peeling material is the latest issue affecting the landmark.
Large sections of the pool have turned green from algae growth, prompting National Park Service crews to treat the water with hydrogen peroxide and deploy what officials described as “advanced nanobubbler technology.” Workers have also been vacuuming dead algae from the pool.
Researchers say the darker blue surface may be contributing to warmer water temperatures that encourage algae growth.
“The bottom is absorbing light, which heats it up,” said Hans Paerl of the University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences, according to WUSA 9. “Black would be the worst color, but dark blue is a pretty bad color, too.”
Paerl said darker surfaces absorb more solar energy, creating favorable conditions for algae blooms.
Dr. Wayne Carmichael, a biological sciences professor at Wright State University, said nutrients left in the system when the pool was refilled may also have fueled the bloom.
“You will be living with the algae for some time, probably the rest of the summer,” Carmichael said, per WUSA9.
However, the U.S. Interior Press claimed in a social media post on Wednesday that the algae issue had been resolved.
“The advanced nanobubbler technology very effectively killed the algae that has plagued every Lincoln Reflecting Pool reopening—most infamously Obama’s reopening—since 1922. 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,” the post read.
The advanced nanobubbler technology very effectively killed the algae that has plagued every Lincoln Reflecting Pool reopening—most infamously Obama's reopening—since 1922.
The Reflecting Pool water is crystal clear, and our National Park Service team is now vacuuming up the… pic.twitter.com/ZuCs0pmnxD
— U.S. Interior Press (@interiorpress47) June 18, 2026
Long-Running Maintenance Problems
The reflecting pool has faced algae and water-quality issues for decades.
A $34 million renovation completed during the Obama administration in 2012 was intended to address similar problems, but algae returned shortly after that project was finished.
Trump cited those issues when ordering the latest renovation and pushed for repainting the pool what he described as “American flag blue.” The project was initially estimated at $1.8 million but ultimately reached $14.7 million, according to federal contract records.
Visitor Reactions
Some visitors expressed disappointment with the results.
“I want my money back after seeing this. I think our resources could be used a lot better elsewhere,” Robert Dale of Edwards, Colorado, told Reuters.
The reflecting pool renovation is one of several projects Trump has proposed as part of a broader effort to beautify Washington, including plans for a White House ballroom, a large arch near Arlington National Cemetery, and a National Garden of American Heroes.
Federal crews continue working to control algae growth and assess the source of the peeling material.
