I read with great interest the recent Des Moines Register story, "High Nitrate Levels Plague 60 Iowa Cities" and the subsequent editorial, "Nitrate pollution is a statewide problem." Unfortunately, The Register mis­­represented many parts of its story, favoring fear over facts. A look at the data tells a much different story, one that is complex but more progressive than the media is sharing.

We can all agree that managing nitrates is a challenge — an ongoing one for everyone who lives in Iowa and hopes to save our naturally fertile, nitrogen-rich soils. When it comes to conservation and water quality, today’s responsible farmers have and always will continue to embrace both. There is no excuse for those who don’t.

Just the...