The next few weeks will bring a flood of information for those who want to learn more about water quality in McLeod County.

The McLeod County Farm Bureau will conduct an informational meeting about the state of local watersheds, and the Crow River Organization of Water will offer training for volunteers who want to monitor streams and lakes.

The Farm Bureau meeting runs from 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 19 in the community room of the Glencoe Public Library, 719 13th St. E., Glencoe. Staff from various agencies — including McLeod County Environmental Services and the state Pollution Control Agency — will answer questions about the area’s impaired streams, rivers and lakes.

For volunteers who want to help measure water quality in Crow River Watershed lakes and streams, the Crow River Organization of Waters will offer free training workshops from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, and Saturday, April 12. The March 29 workshop will be at the McLeod County North Complex office building at 2389 Hennepin Avenue N., Glencoe. The April 12 workshop will be at Peace Lutheran Church at 100 S.W. Fourth Ave., New London.

Registration for either seminar starts at 8:30 p.m. Lunch, training materials, and equipment will be provided. The training is free for people monitoring in the Crow River Watershed, which includes portions of Carver, Hennepin, Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Sibley, Stearns and Wright counties. People who want to monitor outside the Crow River Watershed must pay a $25 registration fee.

Volunteer monitors will learn how to sample water, collect data and keep records through hands-on training.

For more information, call Diane Sander with the Crow River Organization of Water at (763) 682-1933, extension 3, or Vanessa Glieden Henjum of the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District at (320) 796-0888.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)