The Discovery Village public boat ramp in Shady Side, MD, closed abruptly on July 1, 2025, with no prior notice to the public. The public boat ramp was built by the county and opened on August 30, 2018. It was a popular place to launch trailered boats, kayaks, and SUPs; fish from the bulkhead; and picnic under the trees.
According to Lisa Arrasmith, an advocate for The Public Water Access Committee:
"The county relied on a gross undercount of ramp use and an exaggerated statement of the ramp costs to rationalize the closure. The county also overlooked their own commitment to keep the boat ramp open and available to the general boating public until 2046. Keeping the Discovery Village boat ramp open until 2046 was a condition of the $533,833.40 Waterway Improvement Fund (WIF) grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that the county used to build the Discovery Village boat ramp. DNR sent an enforcement letter to the county on July 17, 2025. Anne Arundel County has to reopen the Discovery Village boat ramp to the public, provide a comparable public boat ramp in the area, or repay the WIF grant.
"Reopening the Discovery Village boat ramp is not that simple. The county does not own Discovery Village. The county signed a 30 year lease for Discovery Village in 2016 when it began planning the Discovery Village ramp. Anne Arundel County closed the Discovery Village boat ramp by prematurely terminating the Discovery Village lease. Luckily, Discovery Village is for sale and there is $3.1 million in the county's FY26 Boat Ramp Development account. Anne Arundel County can buy Discovery Village if the County Executive and the County Council decide to make the purchase."
How you can help:
"What can you do to get the Discovery Village boat ramp back? First: Take two minutes and tell the Anne Arundel County Council to use the $3.1 million in the boat ramp account and buy Discovery Village HERE: https://www.aacounty.org/county-council/meetings/meeting-participation/general-testimony. It's fast and easy.
"Second: Come to the next Discovery Village/The Public Water Access Committee meeting. The meeting is at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at the public library in Deale, MD.
"Third: Attend an Anne Arundel County Council meeting and speak to the Council for two minutes during the Invitation to Audience at the beginning of the meeting. The Anne Arundel County Council meets every two weeks. The council meeting schedule can be found here: https://www.aacounty.org/county-council."
A short-term solution
Shortly after the Discovery Village closure, it was announced that Anne Arundel County, in partnership with Parish Creek Landing Marina, was opening a public boat ramp offering free water access in South County to residents through the remainder of the 2025 boating season. This new access point was secured by the Department of Recreation and Parks.
“The Department of Recreation and Parks acted swiftly when the Discovery Village Boat Ramp was closed. They immediately contacted local marinas that could offer the same service, and found a willing partner right across the creek,” said County Executive Steuart Pittman. “This is a win for local boaters and a win for a local maritime business. I hope that we can do more partnerships like this in the future.”
The Department moved quickly to pursue alternatives when the ramp was closed for public use on July 1. In order to provide water access for the holiday weekend, the Department of Recreation and Parks worked with Parish Creek Landing Marina, located directly across the creek, who readily agreed to partner with the County, demonstrating their support by waiving ramp fees over the Fourth of July weekend, allowing over 100 boaters to enjoy the water.
"We are pleased to have found a short-term solution to keep local boaters connected with nature," said Jessica Leys, Director of the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks. "By partnering with a local marina, we can provide immediate access. The Department is committed to continuing the conversation and working together for a long-term solution to serve the South County residents with comprehensive water access.”
More water access information can be found on the County’s website: https://www.aacounty.org/recreation-parks/parks/popular-activities/water-access.