US Seeks Chemical Fixes for Lincoln Pool Algae After $15 Million Renovation
Updated
Updated · Scientific American · Jul 3
US Seeks Chemical Fixes for Lincoln Pool Algae After $15 Million Renovation
3 articles · Updated · Scientific American · Jul 3
Summary
$15 million in renovations failed to prevent the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool from turning green within days, pushing the U.S. government toward chemical treatments and costly technical fixes.
Warm, shallow water, nutrient-rich Potomac tidal basin refill water and the pool’s new dark “American flag blue” coating combined to create ideal conditions for an algal bloom.
Freshwater ecologists say chemical or mechanical cleanup is usually temporary and can disrupt aquatic life that naturally suppresses algae, raising the risk the bloom returns after draining and refilling.
Nature-based options such as algae-eating Daphnia and rooted aquatic plants can provide longer-lasting control by consuming algae and absorbing nutrients, with broader lessons for urban water management.