the double subsidy issue arises in this context also as the federally supported price of ethanol in the united states generates higher market prices for com thus attracting greater production inadequate prices for water and other inputs can increase the public costs of maintaining the ethanol program a corollary objective is to describe the range of irrigation water prices and other farmlevel costs of obtaining irrigation water in the united states prices and costs vary substantially throughout the country ranging from very low in some areas at some times of the year to quite high in other locations particularly during periods of peak demand prices and costs are increasing over time in most areas with notable implications for water use efficiency water allocation economic efficiency and farmlevel costs and returns there is notable variation also in irrigation strategies and in water supplies and demands in eastern and western regions of the united states