The reflecting pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, in Washington D.C., was dedicated in 1922. It is 619 metres long and 51 metres wide, and less than a metre deep. It underwent reconstruction between November 2010 and was reopened in August 2012. Weeks after reopening, the pool had to be drained because algae had covered almost all the water surface. The following year, construction of a World War II memorial damaged the eastern end of the pool, which necessitated closing 30 metres of the pool in late 2015 for repairs. This work was completed in the middle of 20161.
In June the following year it had to be completely closed because of an infestation of schistosome (blood fluke, a type of trematode) in snails in the pool that killed several dozen ducks. If it comes into contact with humans the parasite can burrow into the skin, causing an allergic reaction and a rash2.
Then the Mango Paedo got elected, so after almost a decade of relative calm in the pool, the idiot decided the pool needed to be made “beautiful” by painting the bottom of the pool blue, and removing algae again. The idiot chose the colour, which he called “American flag blue”. He also chose the contractor, who had done pool work at one of his golf clubs. There was no bidding for the work, nor was there any bidding for the installation of the new water purification system. The latter contract went to a Republican Party donor who, in 2010, was convicted of campaign finance violations. In 2002, that same donor was convicted of conspiring to bribe a Democrat member of the House of Representatives. Normally these contracts would be reviewed by federal agencies, to be open for public comment, or to have congressional approval3. Not this time.
The blue very quickly turned green as algae spread throughout the pool. Although it is almost needless to say, the Trump administration stated that any reports that indicated the water was not crystal clear was ‘fake news’4. The fact that the green colour of the water and the green scum on the top of the water were clearly evident, seems to not have made it into their consciousness.
As part of the attempt to again get rid of the algae, hydrogen peroxide was added to the water. It is suspected that this addition has caused some of the American flag blue paint to peel off the bottom of the pool, with large sheets of it seen partly floating near the surface5.
The selection by the idiot of a dark colour for the bottom of the pool may have made the algae problem worse by changing the pool’s heat dynamics. Because the pool is quite shallow, sunlight absorbed at the bottom has relatively little water volume to disperse through. That allows a dark coating to act like a heat sink It absorbs more solar radiation than a lighter or more reflective surface, and converts that into heat at the floor-water interface, and helps warm the shallow water column more quickly, making it more conducive to algal growth6.
This reflecting pool epitomises the US. Ever since it was dedicated, it has not worked well, needing refurbishment or repair regularly, but it took the election of the Mango Paedo, in his corrupt and wilful ignorance to completely bugger it up.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Memorial_Reflecting_Pool
- https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/09/532292513/park-service-to-drain-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-after-80-ducks-die
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/company-trump-donor-cafaro-reflecting-pool-no-bid-contract/
- https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/18/reflecting-pool-algae-trump-administration-iran-war
- https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/blue-paint-peeling-reflecting-pool/
- https://www.newsweek.com/lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-floor-starts-peeling-4-possible-reasons-12094294
