Paletta, the Journal’s Washington coverage chief, walked to the landmark on 17th Street NW on Monday afternoon to see the scene for himself after weeks of news coverage about the pool’s condition. He has a personal connection to the site: he and his wife took wedding photos there in 2005, and have taken pictures of their children at the pool every December since 2009.

“The reflecting pool is an awe-inspiring monument in DC,” Paletta wrote in a Politics newsletter. “It connects the Lincoln Memorial to its west, the World War II Memorial to its east, the Vietnam War memorial to its north, and the Korean War memorial to its south.” He noted that the pool has appeared in films like “Forrest Gump” and was the setting for Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

During his walk, Paletta said he saw about 50 tourists milling about, taking selfies. Security personnel dotted the area, but Paletta described them as “a bit disconnected.” In addition to National Guard troops, he observed two officials in sheriff’s uniforms — one from Nebraska — and someone in a U.S. Marshal Fugitive Service uniform.

The water’s appearance varied significantly across the pool, Paletta reported. “At some points, the water is clear-ish, but there is plenty of sediment from nearby trees. Near the Lincoln Memorial, the water is milky green.” He said he saw “at least three hoses pumping a white liquid into the water” and toward the middle of the pool the water was “definitely green.”

The blue seal applied to the bottom during a recent repainting project showed signs of failure, Paletta said. “I didn’t see anything that looked surgical, like it had been cut. Rather, asymmetrical rips and flakes,” he wrote.

Wildlife appeared diminished. Paletta said mallard ducks and Canada geese have long made the reflecting pool home, with ramps installed to help ducklings exit the water, and companies have been hired to bring in dogs to chase away geese. On Monday, he saw just one family: a mother mallard with six ducklings sitting on the pool’s edge, something he said he had never seen before. “Little ducks. Join the club,” he wrote.

Paletta listed several questions that remain unanswered, including who has been arrested, whether charges have been filed, how much planning went into the sealing operation, how the contractor was vetted, and what it will take to fix the pool.