I don’t care about the reflecting pool nonsense, but this is some good reporting. These reporters cut through all the bullshit explanations and found the actual scientific cause.
Along the perimeter of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, devices called nanobubblers have been used to combat algae blooms. But officials removed them on June 12. By the next day, the water had turned from blue to green with algae before officials re-installed the nanobubblers.
I mean, you don’t need a PhD in pondology to see why it happened. A large body of water with a shallow depth (24′ / 60 cm) + unlimited sunlight + (new!) dark bottom capturing heat + the guano from a thousand ducks and geese and you really couldn’t make a better environment for wild algae growth.
To fix it for good, they’d need to drain it for weeks to properly patch up the leaks. And they’d need to dig up some pipes along the nice lawn. Since it can’t be done overnight, I doubt it’ll get done during this administration.
The ozone can’t really be a long-term fix. They need to find a way to strip the nutrients out of the water. I’d suggest a large algae turf scrubber, where the pool’s water gets circulated thru a tank with cultivated algae that consumes the nutrients, out-competing the algae in the reflecting pool. Periodically the algae is harvested and dried for use as (excellent) compost, completing the nutrient export. Dr. Walter Adey came up with the idea and still works for the Smithsonian.
That’s a big picture explanation of how it could have happened, and could continue to happen. but doesn’t explain this particular instance. In other words, it would not have happened if they had not removed the bubblers – basically because of the UFC fight.
However, as a long term solution, they will need to consider some changes. As you noted, that is too cumbersome to be a permanent fix, unless they want the whole area to be filled with big, ugly, noisy monstrosities wrapped by industrial-grade fences.
From what I’ve read, they also need to overhaul 100-year-old piping and re-vamp the water circulation system.I think you are right that the complete solution will be a very long process. Will Trump have the patience to consult legitimate experts? Color me skeptical.
Because everything the Orange Turd touches turns to shit? Could that be the explanation?