Anne Arundel County has partnered with a marina in Shady Side to provide the public with a free boat ramp about a month after it abruptly closed a water access point in south county.

Through October, boaters can put their vessels into the West River for no cost at Parish Creek Landing Marina, county officials said in a news release Friday.

The county described the arrangement as a partnership with the marina. The county is paying the marina $7,500 a month, spokesperson Renesha Alphonso said.

The move comes a little over a month after the county abruptly shuttered the public boat ramp at Discovery Village ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, much to the chagrin of boaters and paddlers, who expressed their dismay in letters to the County Council.

In a statement, County Executive Steuart Pittman credited the Department of Recreation and Parks for quickly finding an alternative to Discovery Village.

“They immediately contacted local marinas that could offer the same service and found a willing partner right across the creek,” said Pittman, a Democrat. “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 county said it contacted Parish Creek Landing shortly after it decided to close Discovery Village, with the marina apparently agreeing to waive fees for the holiday weekend, allowing about 100 boaters to drop their vessels.

Hanover resident Lisa Arrasmith, an avid kayaker and longtime water access advocate, described the county’s agreement with the marina as a temporary solution.

“It’s a stopgap through October,” she said. “What happens then?”

Arrasmith said she hopes this is a step on the way to the county buying Discovery Village.

Alphonso said the marina offers several “enhancements” compared to the previous boat ramp, including full-time staff and bathrooms.

Anne Arundel boasts 533 miles of shoreline along the Chesapeake Bay and several of its tributaries. The four public swimming beaches here — three of which are county-owned — add up to about a mile.

With 14,000 registered boats on trailers in the county, Anne Arundel operates two boat ramps and 18 “car-top launch sites” for kayaks, canoes and standup paddle boards.

“Private piers are an exclusive expense, and therefore not accessible to the working class in Anne Arundel County,” Edgewater resident Susan Huber wrote to county lawmakers following the closure of Discovery Village. “As a taxpayer in Anne Arundel County my entire life I believe this pier we paid for it needs to be available to us taxpayers, and there should be more.”

Added Annapolis resident Bruce Kellman, in his written testimony to the council: “Please restore the Discovery Village boat ramp. Water access in AACO is already appallingly limited.”

Recreation and Parks Director Jessica Leys said in a statement Friday that she was “pleased to have found a short-term solution to keep local boaters connected with nature.”

“By partnering with a local marina,” Leys continued, “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.”

Having found a short-term solution, Alphonso said, “the county is committed to continuing the conversation with this marina and other local marinas to provide long-term water access for all residents in South County.”