Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington will be partially drained after vandals allegedly caused thousands of dollars in damage by slicing its newly installed industrial liner.
Burgum said the vandals cut up to 350 feet of the liner. Authorities have arrested seven suspects in connection with the vandalism, he said.
Only a small portion of the pool requires repair, according to Burgum. Officials said the landmark will reopen once repairs are completed.
Recent renovation
The pool underwent a $14.7 million renovation, which Burgum said stopped it from leaking 45,000 gallons of water daily.
The industrial liner that was damaged was installed as part of that work.
Background
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool sits on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It is one of the most visited sites in the capital.
The pool is managed by the National Park Service, which operates under the Department of the Interior.
Officials did not specify the total cost of the damage beyond stating it amounted to thousands of dollars. The timeline for reopening was not disclosed.