This follows previous PCI reporting on this story: Lawsuit Puts Reflecting Pool Coating Project in the Spotlight.

Federal defendants have notified the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that resurfacing of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has been completed.

The June 3 court filing, submitted in The Cultural Landscape Foundation v. Department of the Interior, said the pool would begin refilling with water no later than June 7. The filing followed a May 21 court directive requiring the defendants to keep the court updated on developments related to the challenged project.

The project has drawn attention because of the application of a blue protective coating to the pool basin. The Associated Press reported that water began refilling the pool on June 4, with live video showing water accumulating in the basin while workers and trucks remained inside the pool. AP also reported that President Donald Trump said the work to paint the shallow basin was completed June 3.

The lawsuit was filed in May by The Cultural Landscape Foundation, which alleges that the project moved forward without required federal review for changes to the historic National Mall site. The group has argued that the Reflecting Pool’s historic character is tied to its traditional basin color and its visual relationship between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

The project also has raised questions about cost. AP reported that while Trump has put the cost of the pool work at $1.5 million to $2 million, federal spending records show at least $14.8 million in contracts awarded for the project.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which is more than 2,000 feet long, sits between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and is one of the most recognizable features of the National Mall. The lawsuit remains pending as the resurfacing project moves from application to refilling and public visibility.

Sources: 

• AP: https://apnews.com/article/lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-trump-8a1c7a9fb75083460d55fe7caa4401e6
• AP: https://apnews.com/article/trump-reflecting-pool-lawsuit-national-mall-dfe56bec6781a680646b7abfcdbf5425
• Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/lawsuit-seeks-halt-trumps-makeover-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-2026-05-11/