President Donald Trump highlighted the Reflecting Pool Restoration on Sunday. He shared new images of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and called for the arrest of a vandalism suspect. Recent cleanup efforts, officials said, restored the pool’s water clarity before America 250 celebrations.
Trump posted photographs showing clear blue water and a visible reflection of the Washington Monument. He also shared a public notice from the U.S. Park Police requesting help identifying a person wanted in a government property damage investigation involving the Reflecting Pool.
The Interior Department also released a statement describing the cleanup process. Officials credited advanced nanobubbler technology and National Park Service maintenance work for eliminating algae. They said recurring algae had affected previous reopenings of the historic pool.
According to an Interior Department memorandum, the technology successfully eliminated recurring algae. Officials said the problem appeared after restoration projects dating back to 1922. National Park Service crews are vacuuming dead algae from the pool floor. The department described that work as the final maintenance stage.
Crews have already completed vacuuming near the Lincoln Memorial, according to the memorandum. Officials said visitors can now clearly see the blue coating covering the bottom of the Reflecting Pool.
The department also compared the current results with previous restoration efforts. Officials said earlier administrations experienced recurring algae after refilling the pool. They added that the current process produced clearer water.
Another Interior Department social media post highlighted the cleanup results. Maintenance crews expect to finish the remaining vacuuming work within several days, according to the department.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum also discussed recent vandalism affecting the Reflecting Pool. He said vandals created multiple cuts totaling about 350 feet along sections of the pool. Burgum added that engineers may not need to drain the entire 6.75-million-gallon pool to complete repairs.
According to Burgum, the damage occurred along the sloped edges of the pool. He explained that repair crews may only need to partially drain the water. That approach could significantly speed up the repair process.
Despite the vandalism, Burgum described the cleanup project as successful. He said repair crews expect to restore the damaged areas during the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, officials continue investigating the vandalism. The U.S. Park Police asked the public to help identify the person shown in the department’s public notice.
Burgum also addressed questions about project costs. He said officials had not expected vandalism to damage part of the Lincoln Memorial grounds. Surveillance cameras monitor the memorial area, he noted. Burgum also said the Reflecting Pool had gone decades without similar acts of vandalism.
The Reflecting Pool Restoration remains a priority as crews repair damage and complete the final maintenance work. Authorities expect the project to continue while investigators pursue the vandalism case. Preparations for America 250 celebrations also include the Reflecting Pool Restoration.
