Erica Byerley

Erica Byerley specializes in geospatial analysis, cartography, and programming in GIS to support various science projects related to long-term monitoring of the cultural and natural resources of Grand Canyon. She also participates in mapping geomorphic change of the Colorado River by operating traditional survey equipment to map sandbars and driving sonar-equipped watercraft to map riverbed bathymetry. Results are provided to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program to inform decisions on Glen Canyon Dam operations.

Erica began working as a river guide on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon while working on her undergraduate degree at UC Santa Barbara. She has since completed over 80 river trips and spent approximately 1000 days in Grand Canyon, giving her an extremely practical understanding of its geography. Erica’s experiences compelled her to return to school for a M.S. in Applied Geospatial Sciences at Northern Arizona University, where she focused on GIS for hydrological applications. Erica is currently a Geographer at Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center.