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What role did James Geddes play in the Erie Canal project?

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Map showing the route of the Erie Canal across New York state, running from Buffalo on Lake Erie in the west through cities including Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany, and ending at the Hudson River near Troy and Cohoes. The map also highlights nearby lakes, connecting canals, and major waterways in the region.
Erie Canal

James Geddes was a pivotal figure in the development of the Erie Canal, serving as one of its four principal engineers between 1816 and 1822.1

His involvement began while he was serving in the New York State Assembly. After being persuaded by surveyor general Simeon DeWitt that a canal connecting the Hudson River to the Great Lakes was feasible, Geddes traveled across the state to build support for the project. Despite lacking formal technical training, he surveyed a potential route in 1808 and presented his findings to the assembly in 1809; the path he proposed was remarkably close to the route ultimately constructed.1

In addition to his work on the Erie Canal, Geddes served as the chief engineer for the Champlain Canal and later applied his expertise to various other canal projects across the United States, including those in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maine.1