Diyar Guldogan
19 June 2026•Update: 19 June 2026
US Sen. Jeff Merkley on Thursday criticized the cost and condition of renovation work at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool following reports of an algae bloom that appeared weeks after the landmark underwent a federally funded refurbishment.
"You can’t make this up: after railing about waste, fraud, and abuse, the Trump Administration spent $14 million on a reflecting pool reno that’s now peeling and chock full of algae," Merkley said on the US social media platform X.
"I’m pressing to get answers for this embarrassing waste of resources," he added.
The criticism comes after portions of the reflecting pool turned bright green due to a large algae bloom shortly after President Donald Trump directed that the iconic water feature be painted what he described as "American flag blue."
According to federal contracting records, the cost of work on the reflecting pool has risen to approximately $14.7 million, exceeding earlier estimates.
The algae bloom prompted cleanup efforts by crews from the National Park Service. The Department of the Interior said workers were actively removing algae from the pool and defended the effectiveness of the renovation project.
"The advanced nanobubble technology very effectively killed the algae that has plagued every Lincoln Reflecting Pool reopening—most infamously (former President Barack) Obama's reopening—since 1922," the department said on X.
The agency added that the water is "crystal clear" and that crews were vacuuming dead algae from portions of the pool floor.
