The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Carlsbad Field Office, part of the Los Angeles District Regulatory Division, administers federal wetland and waterway permits from Suite 100 at 5900 La Place Court in Carlsbad. Staff at this North County location review Section 404 Clean Water Act and Section 10 Rivers and Harbors Act applications for construction activities affecting navigable waters and wetlands across San Diego County — jurisdiction that encompasses coastal estuaries monitored by organizations such as the Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation. The office's regulatory scope includes jurisdictional determinations that map the boundaries of waters of the United States on development parcels, a prerequisite for any grading or dredging activity within Corps-regulated areas. San Diego County's Special Area Management Plan, coordinated through this Carlsbad office, streamlines the permitting process for projects near sensitive habitats — the type of terrain found in natural areas such as Hosp Grove Park and the lagoon systems lining the Carlsbad coastline. Preliminary Jurisdictional Determination forms processed here delineate wetland acreage, non-wetland waters, and required mitigation ratios using the Corps' three-parameter test for hydric soils, hydrology, and hydrophytic vegetation.