During the Dragon Boat Festival to the Double Ninth Festival, during the rainy season, a large amount of purple red soil is washed into the water in the Chishui River, resulting in a reddish color of the river. Between the Double Ninth Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival in the following year, the rainfall will sharply decrease, and the river water will return to a clear and transparent state.

The Chishui River is the only tributary in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River that has not built a hydropower station. There is no industrial pollution along the river banks, and it is the best protected tributary in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River to date. It retains a large number of original ecological species, so the water quality is very superior.

The water quality of Chishui River is odorless, with moderate acidity and alkalinity, with pH values ranging from 7.2 to 7.9. The average pH value of the main stream is lower than that of the tributaries, indicating a slightly alkaline water quality. Water has a low content of dissolved impurities and is rich in beneficial minerals and trace elements, making it a natural good water for brewing.