When your local reflecting pool or pond turns green with algae, don’t reach for chemicals – nature has better solutions

As the national conversation shifts to political finger-pointing, an important environmental question deserves careful scrutiny: What is the best approach to maintain urban water quality?

By: Eric Palkovacs, University of California, Santa Cruz, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 25, 2026

Words: 1,109

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 2 days ago

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By Eric Palkovacs, University of California, Santa Cruz

When the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool turned green with algae just days after a US$15 million renovation, the U.S. government scrambled for chemicals and expensive technical solutions to fix the iconic landmark.

Trying to kill algae with chemicals is a common response when community ponds or other water features go green. But as a scientist who studies freshwater ecology, I can tell you there are …

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