When ALLARM was founded in 1986, our original purpose was to study the effect of acid deposition on Pennsylvania 's waterways. To this end, volunteer monitors across the state gathered data on a weekly basis at over 550 sites in 96% of Pennsylvania 's counties. After ten years and more than 16,000 volunteer hours, this resulted in one of the most comprehensive databases on pH and alkalinity in Pennsylvania streams. This database, updated in 2004, can currently be accessed on the web through the Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA) site. The data is in Microsoft® Excel© graphical and spreadsheet format, although the database is in Microsoft® Access© format. Some ArcView© shapefiles of spatial data distributions may also be available. However, since data files from PASDA are large and detailed, we have made summaries of the data available on our own site.
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The Mully Grub stream runs through the Borough of Carlisle, and is a tributary of the LeTort Spring Run, a renowned trout stream. The source spring of the Mully Grub is buried under Carlisle . As Carlisle developed over the centuries, the Mully Grub was redirected through underground piping. Today most of the Mully Grub flows beneath the streets, with only a small portion above ground near its junction with the LeTort.
In 1998, after years of monitoring and collecting stream data, Candie Wilderman and her students demonstrated that the Mully Grub contributed to pollution in the LeTort. Then a community watershed organization, the LeTort Regional Authority, worked with ALLARM and other Dickinson students to develop a restoration plan for the area. This is an excellent example of what can be accomplished through the cooperation of a community and an academic institution.