The California Office Of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued a safe eating advisory for any fish caught in Rollins Reservoir due to elevated levels of mercury.

[4] Rollins Dam was built by Nevada Irrigation District as part of the Yuba-Bear hydroelectric Project in the 1960s.

This project was created to bring flood control, water storage industrial/domestic, hydroelectricity, and recreation to the people in Nevada county.

An 810 foot long, 196 foot high trestle, named the Bear River Bridge, used by the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Rail Road to carry out $300 million of precious metals was demolished as part of the ground breaking ceremony for the dam.

[6] Design and construction was managed by EBASCO services incorporated and the general contractor was Paul Hardeman, Inc.

His father helped form the NID in the early 1920s, and Ernest would spend 25 years of his life dedicated to the district, till he stepped down for medical reason.

Evidence of old roads and mine tunneling can be seen when the water in Rollins Lake drops 80 feet in the summer months.

With the establishment of NID existing reservoirs, dams and canals from the Gold Rush era became a part of the district.

Colfax records from the ceremony states:"A giant stride has been taken in providing facilities through which innumerable opportunities for economic development, recreation and a richer life will open to the people of the region, and during which the people of the district have assured themselves a great additional reserve of precious water"[6].German Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Massachusetts brown Trout, Kokanee, Large Mouth Bass, Small Mouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Bullhead Catfish and Channel Catfish are available to catch in the lake.

[10] The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment or OEHHA has set guidelines for the consumption of fish in the Northern Sierra Nevada Foothills.

[11][12] There are various campsite locations surrounding the reservoir, such as Greenhorn, Long Ravine, Orchard Springs and Peninsula Camping and Boating campgrounds.

[13] The campgrounds have showers, picnic areas, volleyball courts, fire pits, bar-b-ques grills, and bathrooms.

[15] Pets are allowed on the campgrounds for a daily fee, hunting and metal detecting is prohibited throughout all NID recreational areas as well as the cutting and removal of trees.

[17] Rentals are available for 3 or 7 hours, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.[17] Personal watercraft that follow California boating laws and regulations are permitted on the lake.

Water continues flowing down the river and just before reaching Rollins Reservoir it merges with Steephollow Creek, also known as the largest tributary in the upper watershed.

Smaller plants were created in the 1980s to take advantage of existing water releases including the Rollins powerhouse.