IT WAS debatable as to whether it was a scene out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or a horror movie when the Condamine River turned a rusty brown yesterday.

But the culprit was hardly as dramatic as any found in a movie plot - the rain did it.

Member of the Warwick Shire River Improvement Trust group and Southern Downs councillor Ross Bartley said reports of up to 50mm of rain at The Head last week was behind the look.

He said the water had washed a lot of red, volcanic soil from the area into the river and a lack of much rain elsewhere meant the colour was so bright.

"It was a pretty quick storm event that went through and they copped about two inches of really heavy rain," he said.

"If we had a flood and there was a lot of rain from areas like Swan Ck and Emu Ck, it would have diluted it and it wouldn't be that colour."

Warwick Fish Stocking Association secretary Ed Kemp went to the river yesterday and said fortunately, the fish in the river seemed to be coping with the influx of soil.

But Mr Kemp said the problem of dirty river water was getting worse, for a number of reasons.

He attributed low river levels; the pesky European carp, which burrow into the banks and cause erosion, and a lack of roots and weeds to being behind the murky water.

Mr Kemp said while the water was not considered to be dangerous to fish, he did believe it would take a while to clear.

"I think it is going to stick around for a little while to be honest with you, because we are probably going to get more rain," he said.

"The most important thing from our point of view is that no fish were killed."