The National Park Service will drain and repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after July Fourth celebrations, the agency’s deputy director for operations said in a court filing Wednesday.
“The National Park Service plans to begin draining the reflecting pool following the Independence Day celebration to conduct repairs, including assessing and repairing any damage to the lining,” NPS Deputy Director for Operations Frank Lands said in the filing.
The filing provides a firm timeline for when pool repairs will begin as President Donald Trump said on Truth Social Tuesday that it would be drained “either immediately before or after the Fourth of July.”
Lands, in the filing, also furthered the Trump administration’s allegations of vandalism, saying in the filing that about “70 fence post tops were thrown into the pool,” and a caulk over the foam sealant “was cut with a sharp knife or razor.”
The deputy director’s declaration was filed as part of an ongoing legal battle over the pool, which has been riddled with issues in recent weeks from claims of vandalism to algae bloom and peeling blue material.
