The management system established by the State of Colorado for flood recovery is a model for responses to future flood disasters, especially those that have regional impacts involving numerous watersheds and local governments. The management system following the 2013 Colorado Floods was centralized around one lead agency that covered the entirety of the disaster affected region (for Colorado this was the Colorado Water Conservation Board). The lead agency assumed leadership responsibility for the program, developed the overall goals and objectives for flood recovery, established a technical assistance team to assist with all aspects of the program, and had the administrative infrastructure to accept, manage, and distribute recovery funds. 

Consolidating recovery leadership with a qualified agency allows greater negotiating power over all aspects of recovery including funding timelines, match funding, and pushing the boundaries of what recovery can look like. Centralized project sponsorship also allows for the possibility of programmatic permitting, a strategy which can reduce costs, expedite timelines, and facilitate more creative and robust project designs. A centrally-lead recovery program is critical to avoiding wasteful spending and duplication of efforts, especially as this relates to project design, sequencing, and buyouts.