The Lincoln Memorial’s famous reflecting pool has turned into a parasite-infested, duck-killing cauldron that the National Park Service said Friday it is taking drastic action to clean.
“The National Park Service will drain the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool starting Sunday for cleaning and treatment of a water-borne parasite that has affected the local duck population,” the federal agency said. It expects to have the pool refilled by June 19.
The reflecting pool occupies a prominent place on the National Mall, located directly between the Lincoln and Washington monuments, which is a hub of tourist activity. The pool is featured in a number of historic photographs, including Martin Luther King’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech from the Lincoln Memorial.
The Park Service said the problem came to light just before Memorial Day. Since then, nearly 80 ducklings have been found dead in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Examinations by federal clinicians showed that the cause of death was “high levels of parasites that develop and grow in snails that live in the pool,” the agency said.
“Chemical treatments alone are not sufficient to fully reduce the parasite and snail population, so the pool must be drained and cleaned,” it added.
Humans who come in contact with the parasite can develop an allergic reaction in the form of a skin rash commonly referred to “swimmer’s itch.” The condition is not contagious and rarely requires medical attention. “The risk of contracting it at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is extremely low, as it is only contracted by sustained contact with affected water, such as swimming or wading,” the agency said.
Last summer, the pond at the National Mall’s Constitution Gardens was affected by a string of fish kills caused by a combination of extreme heat and low oxygen levels in the water. Hundreds of fish were seen floating on the top of the pond, causing a foul smell to linger at the height of the summer tourist season.
