Keeping waterways healthy is top of mind for Lee County’s Big Three islands for tourism: Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva.

The red tide bloom that plagued the islands intermittently for more than a year has dissipated.

But they’re not taking anything for granted, as businesses work to recover from losses incurred when the algal blooms sickened and killed marine life and scared-off many visitors last summer and fall.

From the islands, here are five things to watch in the coming year:

How much water is enough for the estuary?

The Caloosahatchee estuary was forever changed when developers connected the river to Lake Okeechobee decades ago to drain the Everglades for farming and development.

The mayors of Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Bonita Springs and Cape Coral joined forces in 2018 to challenge the South Florida Water Management District 's plan to raise the minimum flow level from Lake Okeechobee down the Caloosahatchee during the drier months of winter and early spring.

More:Lee mayors battle water managers over Caloosahatchee river rule

More:Critics: State not doing enough to protect Caloosahatchee estuary

The mayors want the additional water, but they say the district’s proposed maximum is not enough to properly balance the estuary's delicate salinity count.

It appears that a ruling from the administrative judge was still pending.

Margaritaville resort progress report

The new year will begin with construction of Southwest Florida’s first Margaritaville Resort still on hold for an undetermined amount of time.

This follows Fort Myers Beach resident Chris Patton’s two lawsuits over town council decisions that gave Tom Torgerson and TPI Hospitality the green light to develop a 242-unit hotel with restaurants, shops, a water park and other amenities on and off the Gulf of Mexico.

However, TPI is moving ahead with plans for affordable rental housing for future Margaritaville workers and other hospitality employees, just a few miles away from the Beach.

Company leaders hope to submit that application for Beaches Gateway Village to Lee County in March 2019.

More:Fort Myers Beach resort teams up with Jimmy Buffett-inspired Margaritaville brand

More:TPI Hospitality gets industry peers' feedback on worker rental housing off-Beach

Better ways to get around on Beach, Sanibel

On Fort Myers Beach, work continues on improving drainage along Estero Boulevard and the roads feeding into it.

The other big goal is making the Beach safer for walking and cycling. Crews are adding sidewalks, bicycle lanes and shared-lane markings on the boulevard, depending on what the space will allow.

The utilities/road improvement project, which stretches all the way from Bowditch Point park south to Big Carlos Pass, has a late-2021 end date.

Meanwhile on Sanibel, count on seeing more folks leaving their cars parked – and walking or cycling to get around.

The League of American Bicyclists in late 2018 upgraded Sanibel to Gold level as a Bike Friendly Community, for its extensive network of shared-use paths. It’s only the second community in the state to earn the top award.

Beach crafts plan for curtailing plastic bag use

Last year, plastic drinking straw prohibitions went into effect on Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel. Plastic straws pose a serious threat to the marine life that ingests them.

However, the plastic peril isn’t just from the straws.

And, although cities and states elsewhere have adopted plastic bag bans or charged extra for their use, the Florida Legislature has pretty much preempted municipal governments from such measures. Florida cities challenging the preemption risk protracted legal skirmishes.

From February:With plastic straw ban in effect, visitors at Fort Myers Beach quickly adapt

That’s why Fort Myers Beach hopes to win over shoppers with friendly persuasion – and some free cloth bags.

In cooperation with Beach businesses and the city’s Marine Resources Task Force, it aims to secure and distribute roughly 5,000 custom-designed cotton totes in time for the busy winter tourism season.

Business outlook is cautiously optimistic

“The beaches look great; the water looks great,” said Jacki Liszak, president of the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Hoteliers and vacation rental property managers say “we’re looking pretty good for advance reservations,” Liszak added.

One plus for 2019: The Easter holiday falls later – on April 21. That gives the islands a few extra days to squeeze more dollars from tourism’s winter high season.

More:Ready for a Southwest Florida beach getaway? Almost no rooms available now, but early January is open