Reflecting Pool Green Again After Trump’s $14 Million Renovation

Key Points:

• The Trump administration completed a $14.2 million renovation of the National Mall’s Reflecting Pool, aiming to color the water "American Flag Blue," but algae quickly returned, turning the pool bright green again.
• National Park Service workers were seen cleaning the algae manually, though the pool remained visibly green in photos following the cleanup efforts.
• The Department of the Interior credited the Trump administration's installation of "nanobubblers" for destroying the algae bloom, stating the algae was dead and being vacuumed, and blamed previous administrations for inadequate maintenance.
• The algae's return was described by officials as a normal part of the pool's startup process after renovations, with residual algae from dormant supply lines.
• The Reflecting Pool renovation was part of broader Trump-era projects to alter Washington D.C.’s aesthetics, including a no-bid contract awarded to a firm linked to Trump’s golf club, with the project completed just ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations.