Dead duckling found in Reflecting Pool

Administration Dead duckling found in Reflecting Pool Comments: by Ashleigh Fields - 06/22/26 1:19 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Ashleigh Fields - 06/22/26 1:19 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Onlookers found a dead duckling in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Sunday, sparking concerns about the water conditions inside the newly renovated landmark.

Photos of the dead duckling floating in the pool next to green algae surfaced online days after the Trump administration completed over $13 million worth of repairs to the site in an effort to beautify the nation’s capital.

The administration said it was soon planning to drain the pool to further clear the algae after some questioned the effectiveness of the recent renovation.

However, one algae specialist told The Washington Examiner the dead duckling could indicate the presence of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.

Under warm, nutrient-rich conditions, cyanobacteria can rapidly multiply to form harmful algal blooms that produce potent cyanotoxins that are dangerous to humans, pets and wildlife, according to the Charles River Watershed Association.

The National Park Service has been deploying hydrogen peroxide in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to combat algae growth.

One administration official told The Hill that peroxide levels in the Reflecting Pool have been tested and confirmed that levels are safe and resemble levels used in natural swimming pools.

President Trump raised vandalism over the weekend, arguing people have actively sought to harm the reflecting pool.

“No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work,” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social, without naming which chemicals were allegedly thrown in the pool.

Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, on Sunday pledged to prosecute individuals caught vandalizing to the fullest extent while noting multiple individuals have already been arrested for defacing government property.

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