Salinity has increasingly been identified as one of the most serious environmental issues facing Australia (PMSEIC, 1998; MDBC, 1999). Although there has been an increase in awareness of salinity throughout the community there is still a perception that salinity is a soil related issue and that the major impact is on the agricultural sector. These perceptions and limited understanding of the processes contributing to salinity have led to many in the cotton industry dismissing salinity as a threat without considering the fundamental drivers of salinity and their relevance to cotton producing regions. In this paper, I will attempt to provide a brief "report card" on the most significant salinity related issues for each of the major cotton growing districts. In some areas, salinity problems can be observed right now, although in many cases this paper will highlight the presence of significant "risk" factors for the future. The delineation of key risk factors for each region allows the industry to be pro-active in its management of salinity problems and examine management alternatives, which will minimise the impact of salinity on both agricultural productivity and water quality.