The Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.’s National Mall is one of the most famous landmarks in the country. It was built in 1922, after the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. This shallow, rectangular pool reflects the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the trees that line it on both sides. The pool itself is massive: it is 2,028 feet long (about a third of a mile) and holds over 6.7 million gallons of water. That amount of water is about the size of 24 Olympic swimming pools. 

Water features are a common inclusion at memorials and other solemn places, because water represents calmness and serenity. For example, there are smaller reflecting pools at the Korean Veterans Memorial, the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, and the U.S. Capitol. The Reflecting Pool on the National Mall, is the largest such pool in the city. 

Last month, President Trump announced his plans to resurface the Reflecting Pool, and to paint the bottom “flag” blue. Then a nonprofit organization called The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, stating that the president’s project doesn’t follow the rules outlined in the National Historic Preservation Act and should be immediately halted. 

So . . . should the Reflecting Pool be painted blue? 

YES 

• According to President Trump, the pool is dirty, it leaks and is badly in need of an upgrade. The Department of the Interior has shared that the newly painted pool will look better and do a better job of reflecting the surrounding monuments in time for the America 250 celebrations scheduled for this summer. 

• The new upgrades will also include a state-of-the-art filtration system and dedicated grounds crew for maintenance. 

• Trump is not the first president to overhaul the Reflecting Pool. The most recent upgrade occurred during the Obama administration. Then, most of the original structure was torn out and replaced to combat sinking. A new circulation and filtration system was installed. The project cost about $34 million and included a new tinted bottom to make the pool more reflective. 

NO 

• The Cultural Landscape Foundation does not believe that painting the Reflecting Pool blue appropriately considers its original intent. They say the original design showed a solemn and serious connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. It should not resemble a hotel swimming pool. 

• The Reflecting Pool does get dirty. Every year the National Park Service spends several days emptying, scrubbing, and refilling the pool to clean it.  

• The price tag of the project is more expensive than the Trump administration originally estimated. While Trump originally stated that the project would cost $2 million, other estimates are upwards of $13 million.